Staff Library Services
The IFDC library was named the Travis P. Hignett Memorial Library in 1994 to honor the distinguished chemist, chemical technologist and developer, author and administrator. Hignett received global recognition for his many accomplishments in the fertilizer world over the course of his career. After 35 years at the Tennessee Valley Authority, Hignett served as a special consultant to IFDC for more than a decade. Often referred to as the “Father of Fertilizer Technology,” Hignett held 15 patents and was the author of more than 150 publications. He received numerous awards, including the Francis New Memorial Medal from the Fertiliser Society of London. Hignett’s working files are located in the library archives.
The library was established to provide research and technical information services for local and outposted IFDC staff engaged in agricultural research, including marketing and plant-nutrient technology, training activities and technology transfer. Industries, businesses, individual scientists and national and international organizations have also benefited from the resources and capabilities of the library.
The library collection is accessible through the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC) Interlibrary Loan Service. The subject focus of the library collection includes fertilizers and plant nutrients with special reference to developing countries, agriculture, agricultural economics, agronomy, agribusiness and marketing, chemistry and chemical engineering. The library includes:
- Over 20,000 cataloged books, journals, training programs, conference proceedings, pamphlets, maps, patents (U.S. and foreign) and audiovisuals
- Over 200 current journal and newsletter subscriptions
- Archival collection of fertilizer research material from the 1800s and early 1900s
- Extensive collection of fertilizer technology material
- Access to the latest fertilizer marketing information
- Access to collections of over 40,000 libraries located in North America, Europe and Asia through the OCLC’s Interlibrary Loan System
- In-depth literature reviews (CD-ROMs, 800 vendor databases, abstracts and indexes)
- Files of fertilizer- and agriculture-related publications from more than 130 developing countries
- Organizational files include books and documents published by more than 300 agriculture-related organizations
Library services include:
- Book acquisition and cataloging
- Serial acquisition and circulation
- Local area network access to library catalog
- Fully integrated electronic catalog
- Document delivery and photocopying service
IFDC staff recently negotiated the transfer of the TVA library's remaining fertilizer- and chemical-related material. Once it has been assimilated into the existing collection, this material will more than triple the holdings of the Hignett Library.
For further information, questions or comments, contact librarian@ifdc.org or 256-381-6600.
Library Catalog Login (for IFDC Staff only)
Photo Caption and Credit:
Travis P. Hignett Memorial Library. Photo by Clyde Beaver