The Lubin Files

Quality of FAO library and its staff praised

Salve,

sono una studentessa laureanda della Facotlà di Scienze Politiche dell'Università di Bologna e in queste ultime due settimane sono stata a Roma per fare ricerche per la mia tesi presso la biblioteca della FAO. Ci tengo a consigliare a tutti gli universitari che abbiano interesse soprattutto nelle tematiche della cooperazione e dello sviluppo di recarsi a consultare il materiale sia cartaceo che digitale che è a disposizione nella biblioteca, perchè è molto completo, in alcuni casi tecnico ed in altri ancora multidisciplinare. La cosa che più mi ha colpito è stata la disponibilità e la gentilezza dello staff della biblioteca che, da subito, si è messo a disposizione per rendere le mie ricerche più facili e complete. Sono stata in molte biblioteche durante la mia carriera universitaria e vorrei fare i miei sinceri complimenti all'organizzazione del personale della biblioteca della FAO, in particolar modo alla referente cui io ho fatto capo, Laura Rinnovati, che è stata per me un prezioso aiuto per comprendere come fare la ricerca, ha avuto sempre pazienza e disponibliltà nell'aiutarmi a reperire documenti e mi ha seguito con attenzione e costanza.

Complimenti perchè questo è uno dei modi migliori per incentivare chi ha voglia di capire a continuare ad informarsi.

Grazie

Land inequality data

I am a PhD candidate at CIFREM, University of Trento, and I spent a few weeks doing research at the David Lubin Memorial Library and the Statistics Information and Resources Centre. My research deals with issues related to the measurement of land inequality. Land inequality data derived from agricultural censuses have been used in a wide range of empirical studies, despite comparability problems across countries, discontinuities in the time series for individual countries, and large discrepancies across datasets.

Unfortunately, agricultural census data and related information on factors affecting comparability of land inequality data (coverage of the census, def. of land holding, etc.) are not easily accessible to researchers.

I am therefore very grateful for having had the opportunity to access the large collection of census reports held at the FAO libraries. The libraries’ staff were very friendly and always most helpful—I owe many thanks to Mr. Chiofalo, Ms. Foss, Ms. Mathewson, Ms. Rinnovati, Ms. Yates, and others whose names I do not recall.

Best regards,

External Library Researcher
PhD candidate in Economics and Management
CIFREM, University of Trento

mi profundo reconocimiento...

Sr. Ricardo G. Muñoz O,

Quiero expresar mi profundo reconocimiento a la biblioteca que dirige y su amable persona por la pronta atención que dieron a mi solicitud para acceder a una publicación del informe "Investigaciones sobre costo y beneficio en la pesca industrial de Chile, 1966".  Le comento que sentí una grata satisfacción de saber que la FAO cuenta con documentos antiguos en formato digital, despejando la duda que tenía respecto a que las publicaciones 'antiguas' de la FAO —por así llamarlo— se perdería en algún rincón de las bibliotecas especializadas de nuestros países -como sería el caso de Perú- y el de la propia FAO, pero veo que no es así, por los que les felicito por permitirnos acceder a dicha bibliografía a través del medio electrónico.

Así también le comento que estoy realizando un breve trabajo de investigación sobre las pesquerías en general de los países del Pacífico Sudoriental (Chile, Ecuador y Perú) de los años 1940 - 1970, con una focalización en los inicios de las pesquerías industriales de bonito, anchoveta y atún; por lo que estoy en el proceso de búsqueda de información bibliográfica.  Estaré muy agradecido si podría indicarme si cuentan con dicha información y a que página Web o link podría dirigirme acceder para obtener los informes, documentos técnicos u otro tipos de documentos informativos.
Agradeciendo anticipadamente invalorable cooperación, me despido muy atentamente.

"External Library Patron"

I express my gratitude...

Dear Ms Wu,

I am a PhD researcher at the European University Institute in Florence. In late spring 2007 I was working in the Library and the archives of the FAO. Starting now to exploit the material I brought with me from the stay in Rome, I would like to thank you very warmly for the possibilities I had in your institution. Furthermore, I express my gratitude to your colleagues in the Library and the archives, who were always very helpful and efficient in providing the documents I asked for, namely Jessica Mathewson and Patricia Merrikin in the Library and Giuliano Fregoli and his staff in the archives.

I am working on the international movement in agriculture in the interwar period. The work of the International Institute of Agriculture is one of the core aspects of my thesis. Having been the first governmental multinational institution (founded in 1905), its existence also plays an important role for many other historical questions. Methodologically, I follow a new wave in historiography, where institutions like the FAO are very much important and highly relevant for the explanation of questions concerning international integration. I will definitely come back and risk the prediction, that I won't be the only one.

Again, thank you very much for your precious work!

Yours sincerely,

"External Library Patron"

Thanks again...

Thanks again.
The whole FAO response system [patron was referred from Agris-Caris] works very well - fast and very helpfull. And what a treasure of data! [FAOStat]

Dr. ----
BASF AG, Agro Chemicals and Biochemical Process Development

Thanks for Document Delivery

Dear Franco,

Excellent, article received [pdf via interlibrary-loan] with many thanks. I will use it immediately to complete a report for Chile.

This system of document on-line access/retrieval is to be highly commended, it is fast and very efficient.

Long live the David Lubin Library and its dedicated staff!

Regards,

FAO Staff Member

My final project

Dear Jessica,

I've just finished writing my final project. The document you located for me was of great value to the whole work.  Thank you very much and I hope to see you again in further researches!

Best,

External Library Patron

Dear Patricia,

Thank you very much.

I am always impressed by the exceptionally high standards of the Library.

Kindest regards, 

Staff Member, Institute of Development Studies

From a student at Cornell

Please accept my sincere thanks for your kind assistance in regard to [the vegetable seed industry in Africa]. I received very valuable suggestions and references to other informative websites from Patricia Merrikin, the Reference Librarian at the FAO David Lubin Memorial Library.

The report I am writing is also receiving some further assistance from other sources including reference librarians at the Mann Library here at Cornell University, the IITA in Nigeria, IFDC and African Seed Network (ASN). I am currently browsing the IPGRI website for further information.

Once again, many thanks.

Cornell University Student

It came with flowers!

This thank you note came with flowers!  (But not these...)

A very grateful patron who had spent a month with us doing research on David Lubin for his PhD thesis sent us a lovely bouquet of lillies and roses:

Thank you Jane, Patrica, and Jessica for all your help.  Hope to see you again soon.

--Visiting Scholar from the United States