Databases come in all sizes, subjects and formats. From phone books to restaurant menus, research bibliographies to census surveys, generating and using databases have become everyday activities. Databases are proliferating because information continues to be created at a staggering rate. Much of this information is required for optimum performance, perhaps survival, in our jobs, and at home. The availability of good information is essential.
Information is useless if no one can find it when it is needed.
Without the landmarks and maps that good database organization requires, the proverbial information highway will get us nowhere. The National Agricultural Library is a good place to sample some of the many different databases now available in the field of agriculture and to experience the different searching and retrieval systems their creators have made available. These databases vary in content as well as in format. One of the most specific databases is the Sustainable Agriculture Directory of Expertise , published by the Sustainable Agriculture Network. This database of experts in sustainable agriculture is a good example of valuable information that can be accessed and searched in several different formats.