CINF 57 |
| Interest in biofuels is sweeping the nation due to a growing demand to relieve our nation's dependence on oil and to ease strains on the environment that are produced by using fossil fuels. In order for this industry to grow and become an integral part of our transportation and energy systems, people must be able to inform themselves of the issues, ideas and research activities associated with biofuels. Some of the leading public resources for obtaining the latest information on biofuels include the World Wide Web, libraries, online and in-print journals, and government and university research projects. The breadth of information found in these resources continues to expand because of the urgent need for research and development, advances in technology, and the push for additional public policy. These driving forces mandate the development of information coordination which, due to the subject's recent rapid growth, is not well established at the present time. This makes it difficult for researchers and the general public to navigate easily through the resources that are currently available. In addition, there are a broad group of stakeholders who have a wide range of information needs on biofuels. Chemists, biologists, scientists, farmers, private companies, engineers, environmentalists, economists, government officials and the general public all want information on the topic. To best serve all of these interested parties, a coordinated information system would create and provide central, organized, and easily accessible information resources. For many years, the National Agricultural Library (NAL) has served as a central hub of current agricultural information, providing for a diverse group of patrons. Some of our latest focuses have been on rural issues, alternative farming systems and technology transfer. This talk will present NAL's plans for improving the availability of information on biofuels as this important industry continues to grow. |
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Sustainable Resources: Science and Information Sources
8:30 AM-11:15 AM, Tuesday, March 27, 2007 Hyatt Regency McCormick -- 12 B, Oral
Division of Chemical Information |