By:
Tom Nordlie (352) 392-1773 x 277

Source(s):
Eva Squires esquires@ufl.edu, (352) 392-2411, ext. 296

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GAINESVILLE, Fla.—Consumers seeking advice from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and the Florida Cooperative Extension Service can get it fast from the IFAS-Extension Bookstore’s 2001 catalog and redesigned Web site.

“In response to public demand, we’re making our products more accessible to customers outside the Gainesville area,” said Eva Squires, marketing coordinator for the IFAS-Extension Bookstore. “We’ve also simplified the ordering process.”

Squires said the catalog and Web site offer more than 200 books, videotapes, computer software items and other resources, many of them updated for 2001. The catalog will be available in early June; the Web site is already functional.

To aid customers, the catalog and Web site are organized identically. All resources are grouped into topics, including agriculture, education, fruits and vegetables, home and community, landscape and lawns, natural resources and wildlife, livestock and poultry, pesticide training and management guides, she said.

“We redesigned the Web site for easier use,” she said. “Every product is accessible with a maximum of three mouse clicks. We tried to make the site equally convenient for customers seeking a specific item, and those who want to browse.”

Squires said both the Web site and catalog will be supplemented as new items become available. Customers can request to receive product updates by e-mail.

To help customers select resources to meet their needs, IFAS-Extension Bookstore representatives can answer questions by telephone. Five ordering options are available, including secure online credit card ordering with same-day shipping, she said.

“Many of our customers requested online credit card ordering because it’s so much faster, and we’re very pleased to have it now,” Squires said. “We accept VISA and MasterCard.”

Some IFAS-Extension Bookstore resources are available from other distributors, she said. Most major retailers can order out-of-stock IFAS-Extension products using International Standard Book Numbering (ISBN) identification numbers.

“We believe IFAS-Extension Bookstore products offer Florida residents the best possible value,” Squires said. “They’re developed from research by UF and extension scientists.”

She said IFAS-Extension Bookstore products demonstrate the partnership between UF research and extension.

“Together, we find out what works for Florida,” she said. “Extension helps researchers understand what the public needs, researchers help extension provide solutions for the public. It’s a winning combination.”

Squires said extension services throughout the Southeast look to UF for innovative programs and products.

“We get phone inquiries all the time from extension personnel who have seen our publications and want to adapt them for their own states,” she said. “It’s great to know our work is well-regarded outside of Florida.”

The IFAS-Extension Bookstore web site can be accessed at http://IFASbooks.ufl.edu. To order a free catalog call (800) 226-1764. For product information, call (352) 392-1764.

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