PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University Libraries will host the 16th U.S. Agricultural Information Network Biennial Conference May 13-16 in Pullman — the first time members will convene in Washington state.
“This conference has never been hosted west of Arizona, so it’s a big opportunity for WSU to showcase Washington state agriculture,” said WSU agriculture librarian and conference chairwoman Lara Cummings. “Approximately 100 agriculture and science librarians from around the nation will attend.”
U.S. Agricultural Information Network provides a forum for information professionals to:
- Discuss food and agricultural issues.
- Influence the formation of a national information policy related to food and agriculture.
- Make recommendations to the National Agricultural Library (NAL) on agricultural information matters.
- Promote cooperation and communication among its members and with other organizations and individuals.
Keynote speaker for the conference will be Carolyn Ross, associate professor and director of WSU’s Food Science Sensory Laboratory. One of WSU’s top food scientists, Ross has studied waste streams in food production and worked to look at the influence of long-term ozone exposure on the nutritional and sensory properties of different crops. She has conducted sensory studies on the biodynamics and organics of fruits and vegetables through her lab.
NAL director Paul Wester also will speak at the conference. Prior to heading NAL, Wester worked for the National Archives and Records Administration and was the U.S. government’s first chief records officer. The NAL is one of four national libraries and houses one of the world’s largest collections devoted to agriculture and its related sciences.
For more information about the 2018 conference, visit: http://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/usain2018.