It is declared to be the policy of Congress that—

(1) cooperation and coordination among, and the more effective utilization of, dispar­ate agricultural libraries and information units be facilitated;

(2) information and library needs related to agricultural research and education be effectively planned for, coordinated, and evaluated;

(3) a structure for the coordination of the agricultural libraries of colleges and universities, 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 universities and Department of Agriculture personnel to literature and information regarding the food and agricultural sciences be provided;

(5) programs for training in information utilization with respect to the food and agricultural sciences, including research grants for librarians, information scientists, and agricultural scientists be established or strengthened; and

(6) the Department of Agriculture establish mutually valuable working relationships with international and foreign information and data programs.

There is established within the National Agricultural Library of the Department of Agriculture a Food and Nutrition Information and Education Resources Center. Such Center shall be responsible for—

(1) assembling and collecting food and nutrition education materials, including the results of nutrition research, training methods, procedures, and other materials related to the purpose of this chapter;

(2) maintaining such information and materials in a library; and

(3) providing notification about these collections on a regular basis to the State cooperative extension services, State educational agencies, and other interested persons.

Funds are authorized to be appropriated annually in such amounts as Congress may determine 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 appropriated 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.)