Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33600001
06/06/02
Rural Information Center
Source: National Ag Library
Author: USDA Agricultural Library
Year: Revised September 1990
What is the Rural Information Center?
The Rural Information Center (RIC) is a joint project
of the Extension Service and the National Agricultural
Library (NAL). RIC is located at the Library in
Beltsville, MD.
RIC is designed to provide information and referral
services to local government officials, community
organizations, health professionals and organizations,
rural electric and telephone cooperatives, libraries,
businesses, and rural citizens working to maintain the
vitality of America's rural areas. The Center combines
the technical, subject-matter expertise of Extension's
nationwide educational network with the information
specialists and resources of the world's foremost
agricultural library.
What Services Does RIC Provide?
Information and Referral (I & R) Services.
RIC staff will:
Provide customized information products to specific
inquiries including assistance in economic
revitalization and local government planning projects;
health and medical topics; funding sources; educational
workshops research studies; and other related issues
for the purpose of maintaining the quality of rural
life.
Refer users to organizations or experts in the field
who can provide additional information.
Perform brief database searches of requested topics on
a complimentary basis or exhaustive searches on a cost
recovery basis.
Furnish bibliographies and Rural Information Center
Publication Series titles.
Identify current USDA and DHHS research and Cooperative
Extension System programs.
Assist users in accessing NAL's extensive collection.
How Can You Access RIC?
The information and services available through RIC and
RICHS are easily accessible through:
Extension's network of county and State offices. Mail
or Telephone: 1-800-633-7701 or 1-301--504-5547.
Electronic Mail through Internet:
E-mail - NALRIC@ASRR.ARSUSDA.GOV
Web:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/
NAL Bulletin Board: 1-301-504-5496.
Document Delivery
If you need to obtain a copy of an article, a
microfilm, or a book, document delivery services are
available through the Lending Branch at NAL.
Document delivery at NAL includes a variety of
services:
* Interlibrary loan through institutional or public
libraries.
* Photocopies of journal articles from AGRICOLA
citations as well as from other databases if cited
journals or reports are in NAL's collection. There is a
cost recovery fee for photocopying.
* Location of books or journals that are not found in
the Library's holdings.
* Reproduction of microfilms for a cost recovery fee.
For more information about the Rural Information
Center, write or telephone:
Rural Information Center
National Agricultural Library
Room 304
Beltsville, MD 20705
1-800-633-7701 (Nationwide)
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
a commercial product or company.
This file was generated from data base TD on 09/30/03.
Data base TD was last revised on 06/06/02.
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