News

Hello Hello Hello! This past Friday, we had our final Executive Council (EC) meeting of 2025, and here is what we discussed:

Our current accounting firm, Ehlers, has increased its fees by 100%. We are currently exploring options, but it appears that the increase is in line with what other accounting firms charge for their services. Since it's a conference year, we will stick with Ehler’s for now and continue to explore our current options post-conference.

We are still hoping to open registration for the USAIN 2026 Conference before the holidays. Please keep an eye out for the announcement. In the meantime, please consider submitting a conference proposal, as the deadline has been extended to January 12th. Already put in your proposal? What about your proposal to HOST USAIN 2028? The USAIN-Conference Hosting Criteria is out now. 

Professional Development will be sending out information about the USAIN Research Fellows Award soon! We will be awarding TWO proposals! 

In other news, we will be hosting a USAIN Town Hall in January/February to discuss the USAIN Survey that was sent out earlier this year. This survey was created by the Action and Advocacy and Agricultural Research Service groups to assess the working conditions and work atmosphere of USAIN members, affiliated institutions, and users as they operate in the current work environments characterized by drastic changes from the United States government. We will discuss the findings and identify any actionable items we can undertake. Participants must register for this event. The first part of the presentation will be recorded, but the follow-up discussion will not be. We will send out registration after the new year.

The membership survey was sent out in October, and we achieved a 41% response rate. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with members highlighting professional networking and supporting Ag Librarianship as the top reasons for their membership. Most members are from land-grant universities and identify as mid-career. We feel a strong sense of community; however, the top reasons members struggled with participation were a lack of time and scheduling conflicts. Top ideas for improvement include a year-round, predictable rhythm of virtual professional development, additional support for new members, and addressing issues related to administrative issues *hello Google*. Additional goals include outreach to more HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and extension professionals. There’s also a greater desire for more informal connection opportunities.

So far, the good news posts and updates about EC have been very well received, and people want to see them done more regularly.

We at the EC wish you a wonderful holiday break. Thank you for all your hard work making USAIN an incredible organization.

The USAIN EC is now accepting proposals for the next biennial USAIN conference scheduled for 2028. All members are invited to submit a proposal. Guidelines and details regarding hosting criteria are available at USAIN - Conference Hosting Criteria. Please email your completed proposal to mroyster@ufl.edu by January 30^th, 2026.

 Best regards,

Melody Royster, 

USAIN Past Chair

Following our recent Executive Council (EC) meeting, I am sharing a summary of the key discussions and decisions to keep you informed about the work the EC is doing on behalf of USAIN. 

Annual Conference Planning is Underway!

The Conference Planning Committee is making exciting progress on our next annual conference.

Venue Confirmed: We have secured locations for our main events, including the Hahn Horticulture Garden for the opening reception and the Veterinary Medicine Library for the banquet.

Call for Papers/Posters: The official call was emailed out on October 29. Please consider submitting your work!

Membership Survey & Awards

Survey Update: Our first survey, conducted using Google Forms, closed on November 13. Janis Shearer (USAIN Secretary) and I will begin compiling the results into a report, which we plan to share with the membership soon. Thank you for your valuable input! 

Awards Committee: The nomination period will close on December 5. Please consider nominating someone for an award! USAIN Awards include Service to the Profession, Special Achievement Award, Honorary Memberships, Conference Scholarships, and USAIN Research Fellow Awards. Get those nominations in today!

Website Director Role Reorganization

The EC is investigating the feasibility of transitioning the Website Director role from the incoming President position to an "Appointed" position on EC. This move would enable us to offer appropriate benefits (such as free registration or membership) in exchange for the specific technical skills required—further discussions are needed as this reorganization is still a work in progress.

Upcoming Town Hall/Discussion Event

We are exploring the possibility of hosting a virtual town hall in January. This event would focus on reviewing the results of the survey sent out earlier this fall regarding the impact of government mandates occurring top-down on our membership, our libraries, and more. We would like this to be a safe space for discussion, sharing experiences, and learning that you are not alone in navigating these challenges.

Please watch your email for a separate message on this topic.

Our next EC meeting is scheduled for Friday, December 7. We look forward to continuing the work of serving our membership.

Best regards,

Randa Lopez Morgan

President, USAIN 2025-2026

The United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) Contributed Papers and Posters Committee is soliciting proposals for the 20th Biennial USAIN Conference.  This year’s conference, “Honoring Our Past, Celebrating the Present, & Planning Our Future: Extending Our Reach 2.0” will be held May 31 - June 3, 2026 in Blacksburg, Virginia and online, hosted by Virginia Tech. The Contributed Papers & Posters Committee along with three USAIN Interest Groups are soliciting proposals for conference presentations. Read more here.

The USAIN Professional Development Committee invites you to join our online event on Tuesday September 23^rd 1:30-2:30 EDT

USAIN Reflections on the Future of Systematic Reviews

USAIN members Megan Kocher, Brad Brazzeal, and Stephanie Ritchie will share comments based on their experiences as librarians with Systematic Review training, authorship, and services. This event is to follow up on A Fireside Chat with Margaret Foster and the team at Texas A&M: Systematic Reviews (see description and free registration link shared by Megan Kocher below). The aim of hosts Suzanne Stapleton and Maggie Albro, co-chairs of USAIN Professional Development Committee, is to integrate ideas of the future of systematic reviews into a conversation about our experiences as librarians supporting agricultural, food, and natural resources sciences.

USAIN’s Reflections on the Future of Systematic Reviews

Tues. Sept 23^rd 1:30-2:30 pm Eastern Time Zone

Registration link

Flyer attached: USAIN PDC SR Chat.pdf

We look forward to seeing you!

Suzanne Stapleton & Maggie Albro, co-chairs

USAIN Professional Development Committee

The USAIN Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to present the slate of candidates for the 2025 Election. USAIN will elect a President-Elect, a Secretary, and three Directors.

The Committee identified one candidate for President-Elect, one for Treasurer, and six for the three Director positions. The ballot will also allow for write-in candidates.

USAIN_Election_2025_Candidate_Bios.pdf 

Please take some time to review the candidates’ biographies and personal statements.  All active USAIN members will receive a personal link to the electronic election ballot via SurveyMonkey next week; be sure mail from surveymonkey.com doesn't go to your junk mail folder.  

Thanks to all who are standing for election, and those who considered running. 

Sincerely,

Kiri DeBose (Chair), Megan Kocher, David Luftig, Tisha Mentnech

2025 USAIN Nominations and Elections Committee

When: Thursday, February 27, from 2:00-3:15 PM EST

Where: Virtual

Register to receive the Zoom link. The panel will be recorded and shared with registrants.

Panel description:

Please join us for a one-hour virtual panel on supporting farmer wellness. Speakers from Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and MassGrown Wellness of Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources will discuss their work with the agricultural community and issues related to wellness, including economic stressors. Ideas from this panel discussion will allow librarians to expand our understanding of challenges to farmer wellness and integrate this knowledge into resources and collections we provide to agricultural communities. Attendees are invited to linger after the hour for informal conversation.

Hosted by the Social Issues and Rural Information (SIRI) and the Agricultural Economics Research, Information, and Education (AERIE) interest groups of the U.S. Agricultural Information Network (USAIN).

Participants should abide by the USAIN Code of Conduct. 

Panelist Bios:

Sarah Berquist, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Sarah has been engaged in sustainable agriculture and food systems work for the last 17+ years. She currently teaches, advises, and provides leadership for the Sustainable Food & Farming program at UMass Amherst and is the Director of Stockbridge Floral Design, an on campus floral design business run by students. Her approach to teaching is student-centered, participatory, emergent, inclusive, and experiential. She loves to create and hold spaces, both on campus and online, where learning flows in all directions and wellness is essential. Beyond her work at UMass, she runs a small floral production and design side hustle, is a floral freelancer, and also loves practicing dance and swimming.

Jen Smith, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)

Jen is the Local Hero Program Manager at CISA and has been farming and growing plants for most of the last twenty years. Prior to her work at CISA Jen co-founded and ran Crimson & Clover Farm in Florence, Massachusetts, where she co-managed a 350-family on-farm vegetable CSA. She has a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture from UC Santa Cruz, and has worked on farms and gardens from Virginia to California to Massachusetts. Prior to founding Crimson & Clover, Jen spent five years at Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust in Athol, Massachusetts building and running the farm conservation program there. Most recently, she managed the biology greenhouses at Amherst College. 

Sherine Brown, MassGrown Wellness, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources 

Sherine is a dedicated Mental Health Counselor with years of experience in the field. She is committed to empowering both individuals and communities. She has a PhD in Human Services, an MPhil in Human Services, and an MA in Counseling Psychology. She is also a Certified Life Coach, Mediator, Board-Certified Cognitive Specialist (BCCS), and Human Service Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP). Currently, she serves as the MassGrown Wellness Counselor with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), providing mental health support and resources to farmers statewide. Beyond her professional work, she finds joy in nature's serenity and enjoys gardening and traveling.

Please save the date:  Thursday, February 27 at 2pm (eastern)

For a panel of professionals on farmers and wellness, including economic stressors.

Details forthcoming. A collaboration between SIRI + AERIE.

Dear Colleagues,

The National Agricultural Library has an opening for a GS9/11 Digital Science librarian with a promotion potential to a GS12. This position is open to recent graduates. This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. You can view USDA’s telework and remote work FAQs here Telework and Remote Work FAQs | USDA.

This vacancy announcement closes 12/3/2024.

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to the public and career transition Federal employees. US Citizens and Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

Summary

This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Information and Customer Service Branch in Beltsville, MD.

In this position, you will serve as the point of contact for customers with questions regarding physical and digital collections, web content, and online services. You will also assist in developing content, programs and events that build customer relationships.

Duties

• Assist in providing digital science services that promote the use of digital research methods, tools, or technologies to scientists across agricultural disciplines.
• Provide assistance to researchers, scientists, or research leaders on identifying literature and determining appropriate research tools.
• Assist in providing training, presentations, or outreach related to collections, resources, databases or literature access.
• Provide support by troubleshooting access issues or problems with electronic content delivery.

Link

USAJOBS - Job Announcement

Best,

Stephanie