The Poultry Science Association has a proud history of publishing relevant research, facilitating education and communicating information pertinent to the science to support the poultry industry. Much of the success during the growth and maturation of our dynamic meat and egg industry has been achieved though the application of research findings conducted by poultry scientists and published in the journals of PSA. In addition, significant contributions to the overall understanding of human nutrition, health and wellbeing have resulted from the fundamentals established in poultry-related research. Without this historically important forum and dissemination vehicle, much of the critical poultry research would have been scattered and largely inaccessible to scientists and industry decision makers.

Information technologies now make electronic accessibility to the science in journals standard practice. Since 1996, PSA has provided on-line access to Poultry Science so the science reported in the volumes of the past 14 years is available at the click of a mouse. PSA has an archive of journal issues that are not available online. The archive begins with the International Association of Instructors and Investigators in Poultry Husbandry Proceedings (1908 - 1912), continues with the Journal of the American Association of Instructors and Investigators in Poultry Husbandry (1914 - 1921), and becomes Poultry Science (1921 - 1996). In all, there are approximately 105,754 pages in 16,955 articles and 622 issues in the collection that are not available online. These issues represent a substantial body of poultry-related research that can be obtained only through library archives which are often not easily accessible. Just think of the body of science contained in these pages, the scores of classic papers describing fundamental research that not only propelled the poultry industry into the successful position it enjoys today but also provided the basis for significant advances in human health and medicine world-wide. Examples of the science found in these archived pages include: basic research on choline, methionine and folic acid; research on photoperiodism; the discovery of the slow feathering gene; basic research on unidentified growth factors leading the discovery of several vitamins; research on the Bursa of Fabricius, the discovery of “B” cells and their function; development of chicken lines that provided models for the study of human thyroid disease and vitiligo. And the list goes on. The sad fact is that most of these volumes are buried in library stacks, or worse, in off-campus repositories that render the papers nearly inaccessible. If the information is not available in a convenient, easily-accessible format, the science, regardless of its significance, can easily be passed over. This leaves behind about nine decades of data and classic papers that have become the foundation of poultry science.

To provide greater accessibility and use of this research, PSA would like to have the archive scanned and made electronically available by posting papers as PDF’s to its online journal site. To this end, the PSA Foundation has initiated a capital project, tagged the "Legacy Project," that would fund online access to the "back issues" of Poultry Science and its predecessor journals. Specifically, the goal of the Legacy Project is to fund the digitizing and indexing of issues of the journal from 1906 to 1996 to provide online access along with the current issues available electronically. The importance of this project to the Association, the membership, and the science community in general cannot be overstated. It is imperative that we make these volumes easily accessible to our colleagues and, particularly, to our students. The price tag for this project is estimated at $60,000. We have designed a campaign for the membership around three suggested levels of donor investment: support for one “Issue”, $100; for one “Volume”, $1,000; for an entire “Decade”, $5,000. We trust that our membership will generously support this project. We encourage our members to consider providing a gift in honor, recognition, or memory of one or more of their mentors, students, or loved ones. Donors and their tributes will be noted, unless requested otherwise, on the PSA Foundation Legacy Project Website. In addition, a card noting the tribute will be sent to the individual or the individual’s family.

The Foundation is pleased that Novus International Inc., an animal health and nutrition company based in St. Louis, chose to take an active role in the Legacy Project, sparked by their need for digitized journal access. Novus Inc. stepped up to the plate when the Legacy Project was announced and pledged to provide a $30,000 “challenge grant” to the Foundation to match contributions of member donors. When the challenge grant was announced, Dr. Scott Carter, Poultry Production Manager for Novus Inc., stated that Novus was interested in bringing “these articles that are fundamental to the advancement of technology online for easy access to all.” The Foundation thanks Novus for their very generous support of this important project.

To contribute to the Legacy Project, CLICK HERE to donate online using your credit card or CLICK HERE for a printable donation card. If you have questions about the project you may contact Foundation President William Saylor at 302-831-2524 or bsaylor@udel.edu or PSA Assistant Executive Director Jon Cole at 217-356-5285 or jonc@assochq.org. We thank you in advance for your generous support.

Legacy Project printable description

Legacy Project Donors

“Preserving the knowledge of those that came before us -- to be used by those that come after”