This second "Bookcase" series parallels the Second Agricultural Ministry Series, as is the case with the first "Bookcase" series paralleling the First Agricultural Ministry Series. It also consists of near-print material: reports, brochures, business plans, project proposals, commentary on government policy, position papers, annual reports of independent agencies heavily involved with agriculture, municipal- and provincial-level representations and the like.
The documents were produced by various originators, such as: various-level government departments, interest and advocacy groups, various research institutes and groups, farmers' groups (co-ops, pools and so on), corporations, various committees (both governmental and private), marketing groups, international and national-level agencies and so on. The key criterion for virtually all the material in this series is a connection to agriculture (including livestock, viniculture, horticulture and all other branches of food production), though there are also presentations which address political issues and civic participation in the political process.
As with the first Bookcase series, efforts were made to remove the very usual departmental-type publications, such as annual reports, as well as the publications of government-struck committees. Some probably got through.
Again, as with the fist "Bookcase Series", the content of the second "Bookcase Series" consists almost wholly of material related to all aspects of agriculture: pricing, distribution, farm supports to farmers in difficulty, amelioration of farming practices, special challenges to farming, feasability studies, consumer aspects, improved approaches to farming, markets and market development, land-use practices, technological innovation to improve farming, and on, and on.
And again, Whelan's office personnel linked these files to files in the Agricultural Ministry Series, through the use of a "B" (bookcase) number assigned to each unit preserved by the office in this series. But only seemingly so. Attempts to make linkages between "Bookcase" files and Agri Series files through the "B" number have proved futile. It seems more likely that those mail-ins which the office felt were worthy of retention were simply filed into the bookcase in a more-or-less chronological order, assigned an individual "B" number, and then recalled, if necessary, through a search of the "B" no. lists.
As with the first "Bookcase Series", the second series was retained for a number of reasons. First, Whelan's office felt these submissions to be sufficiently important and useful that it retained them. Second, the mailings will prove unique in LAC's holdings, because most are from agencies and individuals whose fonds will never be preserved. Third, they reflect significant agricultural issues of the time, reflecting individual, corporate and governmental concern. Fourth, as a whole, these records constitute an invaluable and convenient research source for researchers working on various and diverse aspects of agriculture during this period.
