Lots of data at your fingertips
Organisations and individuals across the UK who want to keep abreast of up-to-date news and information about agriculture and the rural economy are being urged to subscribe to an internet-based service.
Land, Life and Leisure is a mine of information on all aspects of the rural economy. It contains thousands of references to agriculture, rural affairs, animal sciences, countryside management, horse care, conservation, environmental topics, horticulture and gardening, forestry and tourism.
The database holds the latest news and research, web links, references to academic, professional and popular periodicals, press releases, conference proceedings, reports and books.
Up to 400 records of newly published information are made available every week with about 20,000 items added every year.
Until now the Land, Life and Leisure has only been available to universities, colleges and government organisations that subscribe to the service. However, the University of Wales Aberystwyth, which hosts it, is keen to share the valuable resource with a wider audience.
It is hoping to attract more users by offering subscriptions of between £450 and £950 a year for organisations and £75 a year for individuals.
"Land, Life and Leisure is designed to help users find the information they need quickly," explained Phil Colbourn, rural sciences librarian at the University of Wales Aberystwyth.
The project, which is funded by CyMal, Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales, as part of the Linc y Canolbarth scheme, is designed to give farmers, small business owners, countryside workers and school students access to the latest countryside information at the click of a computer mouse. Information can be accessed through the new www.library.wales.org website.
