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Preserving USDA and Agricultural History
The Library houses rare books, manuscript collections, nursery and seed trade catalogs, photographs, posters, and more related to the history of agriculture.
Search the Collections
As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Library, Special Collections preserves and provides access to manuscripts and archival materials related to the history of agriculture and the USDA. These collections document the work of USDA from the 19th through the 21st centuries, as well as non-USDA agricultural activities and organizations related to agriculture. Materials found in these collections include correspondence, field notes, journals, photographs, publications, posters, and other items. Browse all collections or search below.
Featured Collections
U.S. Forest Service Smokey Bear Collection
This collection includes an assortment of materials dating from 1902 to 1994 with the majority of the items relating to the various advertising activities which began in 1942.
Rare Books
Strong in botany, natural history, zoology, and entomology, the collection includes writings of many great herbalists of the sixteenth century as well as works documenting agricultural observations, experiments, and practices.
USDA History Collection
This collection documents the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, its staff, and agencies. It is particularly strong concerning the activities of the Secretaries of Agriculture, their assistants, and staffs.
Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection
This collection consists of over 250,000 American and international catalogs. The earliest catalogs date from the late 1700s, but the collection is strongest from the 1890s to the present. Some have been digitized.
Black Agricultural Experience in the United States
A curated collection of historical materials that document how Black people across the United States have contributed to and interacted with agriculture.
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Over 7,000 fruit and nut watercolors are digitized and available for high-resolution download, documenting varieties from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Additional Information
Plan Your Visit
The Special Collections reading room is open to the public for archival research by appointment or to view rare books or archival materials. Because these materials are unique, rare, or fragile, Special Collections does not lend items to researchers or other libraries.
Reading room appointments: Please email us at least 48 hours in advance of your preferred research date. If you are traveling from out of state, please email us to check schedule availability before booking your travel.
Requesting research materials: Please email us the list of research materials you want to view at least 48 hours before you arrive. This gives us time to locate your materials, pull them, and have them ready for you.
Include this information in your request:
- Collection title
- Box number, folder number, and item description
Your research appointment
What to bring to your research appointment
- Government-issued photo identification, such as a passport or driver’s license
- Laptop or tablet computer
- Digital camera or phone (with the flash turned off); camera tripods will be considered if its use does not harm the collection materials
- Pencil and paper for taking notes
- Personal scanners will be considered on a case-by-case basis
What not to bring to your research appointment
- Food, drink, chewing gum, or mints
- Pens, highlighters, or markers
- Self-stick notes
When you arrive at the library
Please enter through the main door at the front of the building (where the flagpole is located). You must present your photo identification and sign in at the security desk. The security guard will inspect any backpacks, bags, or containers.
Tell the guard that you have an appointment with Special Collections, and a staff member will escort you to the reading room on the third floor.
The library provides free parking in the visitor parking lot.
Registration
You will register for your research visit once you reach the Special Collections reading room. There is no online pre-registration required.
Collection care and handling
Special Collections houses archival materials that are rare, unique, and often fragile. To protect these materials and preserve them for future users, we require researchers to follow our care and handling rules while using our collections. A staff member will review these guidelines with you when you arrive.
Copyright and Citations
Permission to Publish
The USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL) owns the physical objects in its collections, but it does not own the copyrights to these materials, except in rare cases.
Because the Library does not own the rights, we cannot give or deny permission to reproduce or re-publish the materials in our collections. Permission can only be granted by the copyright holders, their heirs, or assignees.
Works created by United States government employees, including employees of USDA, in the course of their jobs are in the public domain and may be copied without permission.
You are responsible for determining the copyright status of a work you wish to reproduce. You must also make sure your use of the work complies with U.S. copyright law.
The unique nature of archival materials sometimes makes it difficult, or even impossible, to determine their copyright status. Special Collections staff will share information whenever possible that might help identify the owner of a copyright.
Citing Materials from Special Collections
Citations help readers or viewers of your work find the sources that you used. Include as much detail as possible in your citations to help someone locate the item in the archive.
Citations
Please include the full collection title, box and folder numbers (if applicable) in your citation. For example:
Kellogg, Charles E. Soil map of Michigan. 1924. Box 31, Folder 625. Charles Edwin Kellogg Papers. Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library.
If you need to verify a collection name, or if you have any questions about writing citations for Special Collections materials, please contact us.
Image Credits
Please use the following credit line with images from Special Collections:
Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library.
Reparative Language Statement
About Special Collections
NAL’s Special Collections acquires, preserves, and provides access to physical and digital materials documenting agricultural history and dating from the 1500s to the 2000s. These holdings of over 10,000 rare books and over 500 collections detail the work of USDA employees and offices as well as individuals and agricultural organizations.