When the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania chartered Penn State in 1855, it had a mission of teaching, research and public service. As one of the nation's first colleges of agricultural science and Pennsylvania's only land-grant university, Penn State's specific goal was to apply scientific principles to farming and distribute that knowledge to rural farmers across the state.

The guide is broken down into three sections. 

1. Agricultural History at Penn State
2. Cooperative Extension at Penn State
3. Agricultural Experiment Station

The collections and books showcased in this guide are not an exhaustive list. There are many more materials to be discovered through Special Collections finding aids and the CAT.