7 U.S.C. § 3126 — Libraries and information network

Page 1574 TITLE 7—AGRICULTURE § 3126 § 3126. Libraries and information network (a) Congressional declaration of policy It is declared to be the policy of Congress that— (1) cooperation and coordination among, and the more effective utilization of, disparate ag- ricultural libraries and information units be facilitated; (2) information and library needs related to agricultural research and education be effec- tively planned for, coordinated, and evaluated; (3) a structure for the coordination of the ag- ricultural libraries of colleges and univer- sities, Department of Agriculture libraries, and their closely allied information gathering and disseminating units be established in close conjunction with private industry and other research libraries; (4) effective access by all colleges and uni- versities and Department of Agriculture per- sonnel to literature and information regarding the food and agricultural sciences be provided; (5) programs for training in information uti- lization with respect to the food and agricul- tural sciences, including research grants for li- brarians, information scientists, and agricul- tural scientists be established or strength- ened; and (6) the Department of Agriculture establish mutually valuable working relationships with international and foreign information and data programs. (b) Food and Nutrition and Education Resources Center There is established within the National Agri- cultural Library of the Department of Agri- culture a Food and Nutrition Information and Education Resources Center. Such Center shall be responsible for— (1) assembling and collecting food and nutri- tion education materials, including the results of nutrition research, training methods, proce- dures, and other materials related to the pur- pose of this chapter; (2) maintaining such information and mate- rials in a library; and (3) providing notification about these collec- tions on a regular basis to the State coopera- tive extension services, State educational agencies, and other interested persons. (c) Authorization of appropriations Funds are authorized to be appropriated annu- ally in such amounts as Congress may deter- mine necessary to support the purposes of this section. The Secretary is authorized to carry out this section with existing facilities through the use of grants, contracts, or such other means as the Secretary deems appropriate and to require matching of funds. No funds appro- priated to support the purposes of this section shall be used to purchase additional equipment unless specifically authorized by law subsequent to September 29, 1977. (Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, § 1411, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 990; Pub. L. 97–98, title XIV, § 1412, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1302.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT For definition of ‘‘this chapter’’, referred to in sub- sec. (b)(1), see note set out under section 3102 of this title. AMENDMENTS 1981—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 97–98, § 1412(1)–(3), added par. (6). Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 97–98, § 1412(4), substituted ‘‘no- tification about these collections on a regular basis to the State cooperative extension services, State edu- cational agencies, and other interested persons’’ for ‘‘for the dissemination of such information and mate- rials on a regular basis to State educational agencies and other interested persons’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1981 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an Effective Date note under section 4301 of this title. EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as an Effective Date of 1977 Amend- ment note under section 1307 of this title. § 3127. Support for Advisory Board (a) Appointment of staff To assist the Advisory Board in the perform- ance of its duties, the Secretary may appoint, after consultation with the chairperson of the Advisory Board— (1) a full-time executive director who shall perform such duties as the chairperson of the Advisory Board may direct and who shall re- ceive compensation at a rate not to exceed the rate payable for GS–18 of the General Schedule established in section 5332 of title 5; and (2) a professional staff of not more than five full-time employees qualified in the food and agricultural sciences, of which one shall serve as the executive secretary to the Advisory Board. (b) Additional clerical assistance and staff per- sonnel The Secretary shall provide such additional clerical assistance and staff personnel as may be required to assist the Advisory Board in car- rying out its duties. (c) Assistance of outside personnel In formulating its recommendations to the Secretary, the Advisory Board may obtain the assistance of Department of Agriculture em- ployees, and, to the maximum extent prac- ticable, the assistance of employees of other Federal departments and agencies conducting related programs of agricultural research, ex- tension, and teaching and of appropriate rep- resentatives of colleges and universities, includ- ing State agricultural experiment stations, co- operative extension services, and other non-Fed- eral organizations conducting significant pro- grams in the food and agricultural sciences. (Pub. L. 95–113, title XIV, § 1412, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 991; Pub. L. 97–98, title XIV, § 1413, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1302; Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, § 1605(b)(1), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3713; Pub. L.