Project CERES, a collaboration between the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN), the Agriculture Network Information Collaborative (AgNIC), and CRL has awarded eight organizations a total of $50,000 for digitization projects in 2019-2020. The projects support ongoing preservation and access to important source materials which shed light on agricultural history and practice, rural life, industry and trade, and environmental change, all vital areas to understanding the country’s economic, social, and technological development over time.

Project CERES 2019-20 participants were chosen by a subcommittee of the USAIN Preservation and Digital Library Committee. The subcommittee was chaired by Joel Cummings of Washington State University.

Project CERES Proposals Funded for 2019-20:

• Colorado State University, Preservation of Colorado Agriculture Literature, Colorado County Agent Annual Reports, Third Phase
• Cornell University, The Rural New Yorker Phase II
• Michigan State University, Michigan Tradesman
• Montana State University, Montana Agricultural Related Microfilm Digitization Project
• South Dakota State University, Digitization of South Dakota State University's Agricultural Publications: Cooperative Extension
• University of Maryland, Preserving the History of Maryland Agriculture and Rural Life: Microfilm to Digital
• University of Arkansas, Digitization of Annual Report / Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
• University of Nebraska, Preserving Nebraska's Agricultural History II: Circulars of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

Cornell University is a multi-year Project CERES recipient for its preservation of The Rural New Yorker. Characterized as “a journal for the suburban and country home,” this weekly periodical was in publication for more than 100 years, until being acquired through a merger in 1964.

For a list of past awarded projects see information on CRL’s Global Resources Agriculture Partnership. Individual digitized titles can be accessed through CRL’s online catalog.

Information about submitting a proposal for Project CERES 2020-2021 will be available on the USAIN website in fall 2019.