Abstract:  

The  article deals with the activity  and  the  main
problems  of the Fundamental Library of the Latvian  University
of  Agriculture participating in AGLINET system and also  being
the National Centre of AGRIS/CARIS.


   The  Fundamental  Library  of  the  Latvian  University   of
Agriculture  working experience in the FAO system is not great.
In  the spring of 1993 Mr. Abraham I. Lebowitz from FAO visited
Latvia to advise on our participation in AGRIS/CARIS. After his
visit  the  Ministry of Agriculture Foreign Affairs  Department
was  chosen to be the AGRIS/CARIS Centre, yet any real activity
in the preparation of information for AGRIS was not begun.

   At  the  end  of  1994 I had the opportunity to  attend  the
courses  organized by FAO in Vienna and Rome.  After  that  our
library  was  assigned  the  work of the  National  AGRIS/CARIS
Centre  in  Latvia, and we began AGRIS input preparation.  This
work   is  performed  by  three  people,  one  of  them   makes
translations  and prepares abstracts in English. For  the  time
being  our  contribution to the formation of AGRIS database  is
not great, there are rather few publications on agriculture and
the  related sciences that could be of interest for  scientists
abroad,  the  articles  are short and usually  written  in  the
Latvian   language.  There  are  nearly  no   publications   on
agriculture in foreign languages.

   From  the  very  beginning of our work at  the  Centre,  the
information was prepared by computer using Micro CDS/ISIS,  the
data  were  sent to the Vienna Centre by E-mail. As at  present
there  are  not  many publications on agriculture,  our  Centre
alone  does  the  work  of  input  preparation  including   the
publications  written  by authors from  different  agricultural
research   institutes,   experimental   stations   and    other
agricultural  institutions. The Centre has at  its  disposal  a
computer  with Pentium processor, a laser printer and  we  have
the  possibility  to read CD-ROMs, but  we  have no scanner.  A
great   problem   for  us is a lack of an  up-to-date  Latvian-
English terminological dictionary necessary for the preparation
of publications and abstracts in English.

   This  spring our library was visited by Mr. Robert Portegies
Zwart  from  FAO  Library and Documentation  Systems  Division.
After his visit we are discussing the issue of establishing FAO
Depository Library in Latvia. Some preliminary work has already
been  done,  and  we hope that FAO Depository Library  will  be
established  in  the framework of our library  in  the  nearest
future.

   Since   1994   the  Fundamental  Library  of   the   Latvian
University  of  Agriculture has been included  in  the  AGLINET
system.  The work within the system is an important  experience
for  us. The possibility to receive the copies of articles from
AGLINET  libraries  free-of-charge is very  important  for  our
scientists,  though  not  all  of  them  have  understood   the
advantages of the system. Thus, the work with databases is  not
yet  satisfactory. They should be used more intensively, though
the  transition  to  the new information technologies  requires
some  time.  We  hope  that our efforts to  advertise  the  new
technologies will be more successful in the future.

   Our   main   partners  in  cooperation  are   the   National
Agricultural  Library  of  the USA,  the  Central  Agricultural
Library  in  Bonn,  the  libraries  in  the  Nordic  countries,
especially the Helsinki Agricultural Library. Unfortunately  we
did  not  succeed in reestablishing the once close  cooperation
with  the  Central  Scientific Agricultural Library  in  Moscow
which  now has also become a member of AGLINET.

   For  the  time being the publications issued in  Latvia  are
not  in  great  demand.  Only works published  in  English  are
requested,  but they are few. Therefore, we advise the  authors
to write more in English.

   I  would like to thank all the organizers of the AGROINFO'96
for  the  opportunity to come together and exchange experience,
to  discuss  problems and express new ideas.  Nothing  is  more
valuable than direct contacts with colleagues.