The  Central Agricultural and  Forestry Library in  Prague
(CAFL)  is  one  of the largest agricultural libraries  in  the
world.  It was founded in 1926 and since 1927 it has been  open
to  the  public. At present its library holdings include  above
one  million  volumes of books, research reports, dissertations
etc. In this year the library subscribes to 750 titles of Czech
and foreign journals. The library annual accessions amount to 8
-  10 000 volumes. The important source of periodicals and non-
periodicals  literature  remains in international  exchange  of
publications.  The  library  co-operates  with  more  than  800
partners  in 45 countries throughout the world. Each year,  the
library  receives about 12 000 visitors and there are  realised
about  130 000 loans. Since 1993, library has been part of  the
Institute of  Agricultural and Food Information and the library
holdings form the basis of information services to Institute.

     Information  sources acquired to the library holdings  are
processed  into the system of catalogues - author  and  subject
catalogues  as  basic  catalogues and besides  them  there  are
processed  diverse  special  catalogues  and  files,  e.g.   of
journals,  research  reports,  visit  reports  etc.  Since  the
beginning  of 1994, library has accepted automation  processing
of  the  library holdings in CDS/ISIS system by realisation  of
network  version. By introduction of automation processing  the
library pursues further improvement of its services quality  to
users.  At  present the connection to the INTERNET is prepared.
In the meantime only e-mail is used.

     In the field of international co-operation the library  is
a member of the IAALD-International Association of Agricultural
Librarians  and  Information Specialists. Since September  1991
the  library has been a member of  AGLINET-FAO, since 1.1. 1994
it  has  been  a depository library of  FAO materials  for  the
Czech  Republic. By the end of 1992 the library  had  published
the  Bulletin  of Czechoslovak Committee for Co-operation  with
FAO  and  it  had also a share in organising the  regional  FAO
conference held in summer 1992. To this event the special issue
of the Bulletin FAO was published.

       The   membership   in  the  international   network   of
agricultural  libraries AGLINET, realised as one of  the  first
among   post-communist  countries,  enabled  our   library   to
disseminate  an offer of its services to users  and  to  become
more   closely  involved  in  international  co-operation  with
agricultural libraries. Annually the library deals  with  about
30  requirements form libraries involved in AGLINET, especially
requirements  of  partners form Belgium, Belorus,  India,  USA,
Jordan,  Spain  and   Denmark.  Furthermore  we  began  to  use
possibilities   of    AGLINET  for   our   readers   both   for
professionals  of  the  Institute  of   Agricultural  and  Food
Information and for external users. For the present  lower  use
of   AGLINET  services  is  in particular   caused  by  so  far
incompleted  transformation of Czech agricultural research.  We
believe  that  further impulse for better, use of  the  Library
holdings will be connection of the library to INTERNET.

     Collaboration  of  the   CAFL with  David  Lubin  Memorial
Library in Rome has had many-year tradition having roots in the
pre-war  period.  CAFL  became  a  depository  library  of  FAO
materials  for former Czechoslovakia, but due to administrative
intrusion its statute has been taken away and assigned  to  the
National Library in Prague at the beginning of eighties,  where
the  central library of UNO materials has been built.  Although
the CAFL collaborated with the National Library very closely in
the  field of re-distribution and using FAO materials, a change
for  the  better  occurred after the Czech  Republic  had  been
accepted  in FAO. On the basis of the CAFL request the  library
was  again awarded the statute of a depository Library  of  FAO
materials  for  the Czech Republic. The CAFL regularly  informs
its users through the Survey of New Acquisitions in the library
holdings  about  the  latest accessions of FAO  literature.  In
general reading room there is reserved a separate department of
accessions  of   FAO literature, including all statistics.  For
Institute   professionals and rural public there are  regularly
organised  exhibitions  of  new  FAO  literature  in    Library
collections. We would welcome to get more earlier and  detailed
information of edition plans of  FAO during a year.

     Central  Agricultural and Forestry Library  continues  its
work in seventy - year tradition of services to  workers in the
field  of  agriculture. This co-operation would not be possible
without engagement of our library in international co-operation
with agricultural libraries, in particular with FAO. We believe
that this co-operation will be further developed in order to be
able to concentrate on our basic function - full satisfying  of
information  needs  for  our users in the  Czech  Republic  and
abroad.