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AGRICOLA
Beltsville, Maryland, United States
What it is
AGRICOLA is the National Agricultural Library catalog for agricultural and allied disciplines. It contains over 5 million records, from current literature to printed works dating as far back as the 15th century. Its catalog includes journal articles, bibliographies, monographs, symposia, meeting abstracts, conference proceedings, and theses and dissertations. Selected peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings are indexed for discovery; indexed records have named personal authors and English titles and abstracts. Users can search the AGRICOLA dataset through USDA NAL SEARCH by selecting it from the dataset dropdown or opening its subset directly. The web catalog is free to access and offers advanced search across multidisciplinary subjects. AGRICOLA does not provide full text, so access to an individual article may depend on linked sources. NAL offers an online question form and weekday chat from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays, for search support.
For and against
For
- Free public access to the web catalog.
- Contains over 5 million records.
- Offers advanced search across multidisciplinary subjects.
- Includes conference proceedings and theses and dissertations.
Against
- Full text is not provided.
- Individual article access may depend on linked sources.
The verdict
AGRICOLA offers free discovery across a large catalog of agricultural and allied works. Readers should expect to follow linked sources for any full-text article access.
Who it suits
It suits readers searching for agricultural and allied literature, including journal articles, proceedings, and theses. It is a catalog for discovery rather than a full-text article service.
Plans and prices
AGRICOLA
Public access to the AGRICOLA catalog; individual article full text may depend on linked sources
Read 2 Oct 2026 · nal.usda.gov
On the record
- Accepted file formats
- NAL accepts metadata as XML files or archives in formats including zip, gzip, tar, and Bagit, and does not accept Word, PDF, or RAR files.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Collection size
- The catalog contains over 5 million records, including current literature and printed works dating as far back as the 15th century.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Coverage
- Its subject coverage includes all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, while the catalog spans works dating back to the 15th century.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Discovery
- NAL indexes selected peer-reviewed journal articles and makes them available for discovery.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- File transfer
- After sample metadata is accepted, publishers coordinate file exchange with NAL using a method such as SFTP, FTP, or HTTP; NAL also accepts publisher transfers to its SFTP-only service.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Indexed content
- AGRICOLA covers peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings with named personal authors and English titles and abstracts across agriculture and allied disciplines.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Journal selection
- Journals are reviewed under NAL's collection development policy and for compliance with its metadata requirements.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Publisher metadata
- Publishers may submit metadata in MODS, JATS, or NLM DTD, and NAL says MODS is preferred for faster processing.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- AGRICOLA is the National Agricultural Library catalog for agricultural and allied disciplines.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Search access
- Users can search the AGRICOLA dataset through USDA NAL SEARCH by selecting AGRICOLA from the dataset dropdown or opening its subset directly.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Search support
- NAL offers an online question form and chat during weekday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Submission requirements
- Indexed records require metadata such as an English article title and abstract, author information, journal title, publisher, identifiers when available, and publication date.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
- Support
- Publishers can contact [email protected] with questions and to coordinate metadata file exchange.nal.usda.gov · read 2 Oct 2026
