Fred. S. Conte and Abbas Ahmadi

Department of Animal ScienceUniversity of California Davis

Digital Information

Organization, Retrieval and Delivery of Digitized Information

Major changes in U.S. population demographics and a shift in political influence from rural to urban interests have imposed both economic and social changes on universities that traditionally support agriculture interest (Conte, 1993; Meyer, 1992, 1995, 1997).

As a result, state Land Grant and Sea Grant (LSG) institutions have experience cyclic, financial challenges in their ability to match available resources to programmatic responsibilities.

SOCIAL CHANGES

Although our primary responsibility may be the aquaculture industry, the weight of political influence from urban audiences mandates service to both the general public and our traditional clientele.

Our challenge is how to respond to general information requests and demonstrate the value of aquaculture; and all balanced with the maintenance of quality programs for the industry that we serve.

SOCIAL CHANGES

Reduce and/or eliminate hard copy storage, and create instant access to the same materials from digital origins

Reduce the cost of publication and document production and modification

PRIMARYOBJECTIVES & CHARACTERISTICS

Produce high-demand and quality publications that do not have Agriculture & Natural Resources (ANR) priority for funding or hard copy production

Facilitate a more rapid turnaround for publication

and document review and modification

Integrate the personal computer (PC) software and the Internet server with web site applications to extend information to clientele

PRIMARYOBJECTIVES & CHARACTERISTICS

Reduce the time and cost to distribute publications and documents

Create the ability for relative unlimited digital information storage combined with rapid search and retrieval functions

PRIMARYOBJECTIVES & CHARACTERISTICS

Create integrated and multiple application, computer-based capabilities for dissemination of information ranging from traditional mail to Internet transmission

Rapid retrieval computer information system for extension application.(Conte, F. S. and N. A. Gibson. 1992)

TOOLS

Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)Incorporation of university’s digitized aquaculture documents to California Aquaculture Association’s computer/server BBS on the Internet

Outreach for Windows: Established through WRAC regional research funds.

TOOLS

Stand-alone Windows PC program:

Stores, searches for, sorts, retrieves, prints and/or sends any digitized file formats in protected and unprotected format

(Conte and Ahmadi, 1995a; 1995b; 1996)

Outreach Web: sort and search pre-selected file formats located on the campus-based, California Aquaculture “hub server”, or any other Internet website

TOOLS

California Aquaculture: http://aqua.ucdavis.edu

Tools for Specialist and Advisors to deliver information directly to clients and storehouse of Specialist information

Digitized publications in .pdf format, digital images, and videos.

Printed and mailed, faxed, or sent by e-mail directly from the Server, or the operator’s PC.

Conte and Ahmadi, 1997a; 1997b

CALIFORNIA AQUACULTURESERVER

References

Conte, F. S. and N. A. Gibson. 1992. Rapid retrieval computer information system for extension application. Proc. Nat. Aquaculture Extension Conf., Little Rock, AR. 8 pp.

Conte, F.S. 1993. The Land Grant University Concept In The United States: Brief Historical Overview and Evolution Impacted by Changing Social Patterns. Universidad\Autonoma de Baja California Sur, Baja, Mexico, December 2, 1993.

Conte, F.S. and A. Ahmadi. 1995a. Outreach for Windows: A computer based document management and delivery system. Proc. of the FACTs Conference, Orlando, Florida. 17 pp.

Conte, F.S. and A. Ahmadi. 1995b. Outreach: A computer based, document management system for extending information. Aquaculture 95’, San Diego, CA. Abstract, pp 111.

Conte, F.S. 1996. Information by Computer: Getting Industry and the Public up to Speed. Aquaculture America 96’, Arlington, TX. Abstract, pp 29.

Conte, F.S. and A. Ahmadi. 1996. Outreach: A document management and delivery system. Proc. 6th. Annual Int. Conference on Computers and Agriculture, Cancun, Mexico, Sco. Agri. Eng. Pub. 9 pp.

Conte, F.S. 1997. Land Grant and Sea Grant Institutional Modifications: The California model. Proc. Nat. Aquaculture Extension Conf., Annapolis, MD. Abstract.

Conte, F.S. and A. Ahmadi. 1997a. Extension Tools for Desktop PCs and the Internet. Proc. Nat. Aquaculture Extension Conf., Annapolis, MD. Abstract, pp 23.

Conte, F.S. and A. Ahmadi. 1997b. Outreach for Windows: Document Management for PCs with Internet Application. Proc. Nat. Aquaculture Extension Conf., Annapolis, MD. Abstract, pp 23.

Meyer, J.H. 1992. Rethinking the outlook of colleges whose roots were in agriculture. U. Calif. Press.

Meyer, J.H. 1995. Transforming the Land Grant College of Agriculture for the twenty-first century. Kellogg Foundation. pp 30.

Meyer, J.H. 1997. Re-engineering the Land Grant College of Agriculture. Kellogg Foundation. pp 32.