Turfgrass Information Center >> Collections Home >> O.J. Noer Memorial Turfgrass Collection
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
O.J.
Noer Memorial Turfgrass Collection
During his career, O.J. Noer accumulated many books, journals, and conference
proceedings related to the science, culture, and maintenance of turfgrass.
Upon his death, this legacy fell in turn to Charles Wilson and the O.J.
Noer Research Foundation, which was formed to honor his name in support
of turfgrass research and education. It was soon voted to place this valuable
collection into the hands of an accredited institution of higher learning
so it would be universally available to turfgrass students. Michigan State
University was selected at the behest of Dr. James B Beard, then of the
Dept. of Crop and Soil Science, and Dr. Richard E. Chapin, then-Director
of Libraries.
Donated to Michigan State University beginning in 1968, the O.J. Noer Memorial Turfgrass Collection served to expand the existing collection of turf literature which had evolved during a concentrated effort to increase the MSU Libraries' turf holdings through the 1960's, a cooperative effort of both teaching and library faculty.
Other private contributions included collections from Dr. James Watson, Mr. Thomas Mascaro, Dr. John Gallager and Dr. James B Beard. Valuable books and publications were solicited by Charles G. Wilson and James Latham on the behalf of the O.J. Noer Foundation. Since that time, the O. J. Noer Foundation has supported the purchase, when necessary for acquisition, of historic items not yet owned. When visiting the Collection, you may want to browse through the current Noer Collection Featured Acquisition.
Subsequent
major donations have included materials from the USGA Green
Section, GCSAA, Dr. William Daniel, Dr. Kenyon T. Payne, Mr. Fred Opperman,
Dr. Paul Rieke, and the family of Dr. Kent Kurtz.
This on-going
effort continues to strengthen the Collection, and thus make more of
the rich tradition of turfgrass literature available for future generations
of scholars, students, and professionals.
Together these holdings, along with ongoing MSU acquisitions and continuing
donations from a wide range of individuals, comprise a collection of turf
related material that is generally recognized as the finest publicly accessible
one in the world.
Access
to the Noer Collection
There are two primary methods to identify specific items (articles, etc.)
within the Noer Collection. The first is a book and the second is a database.
1. Turfgrass Bibliography: from 1672 to 1972.
James B Beard, Harriet J. Beard and David P. Martin. Michigan State University
Press, 1977. 730 pages. This 16,000+ entry bibliography provides author
and classified subject access to short-record format listings (="citations").
Compiled as the literature-review "portion" of the writing
of the pivotal Turfgrass: Science and Culture treatise, this
work won the 1979 Oberly Award of the American Library Association
for the
best agricultural bibliography. (See TGIF
R=9280) It is used to identify a significant portion of literature
(up to 1972) published prior to the establisment of TGIF (about 61%
of this pre-1972 material is
in
TGIF so far).
2. The Turfgrass Information File (TGIF).
TGIF records include links to full-text digitized versions of about 21%
of the database.
Finding Items in the Collection ("Physical Access")
For items within TGIF that are not directly linked to digitized versions,
the MSU Libraries physically own ("hard
copy")
approximately 85% of the items listed in TGIF. You can use materials
held at MSU, including the Noer Collection.
1. Come to the Collection and locate materials yourself. Details
about material locations.
2. Have us do a portion of the work for you. For more information, please
our Services page.
Some materials (primarily books) of the Collections may be borrowed through
your local library's Inter-Library Loan capability. Take a copy of the
full TGIF record to give them when you make the request.