Historic Milestones Associated with the Turfgrass Information Center

  • Early 1960's: Dr. James B Beard & MSU Libraries Director Dr. Richard Chapin agree to begin building a significant turfgrass collection at the MSU Libraries.
     
  • 1968: The collection of agronomist O.J. Noer is donated to the MSU Libraries, facilitated by the O.J. Noer Research Foundation. All turfgrass-related holdings at MSU are named the "O.J. Noer Memorial Turfgrass Collection" at that time.
     
  • 1973: The MSU Libraries publish The O.J. Noer Memorial Turfgrass Collection: A Bibliography, a booklet that defines and describes the scope of the collection for the first time.
     
  • 1977: The MSU Press publishes Beard, Beard, and Martin's Turfgrass Bibliography: From 1672 to 1972, a listing of over 16,000 citations with an extensive subject index, and based primarily on the Noer Collection holdings.
     
  • 1983: The USGA Turfgrass Research Committee and the MSU Libraries agree to begin the construction of an online database indexing the turfgrass literature, to be called the USGA Turfgrass Information File (TGIF).
     
  • 1984: The Turfgrass Information Center (TIC) is established as a unit of the MSU Libraries to build TGIF and continue to develop the Noer Collection.
     
  • 1984: The first record is entered into TGIF on September 10th, 1984.
     
  • 1988: TGIF becomes available for end-user dial-up access.
     
  • 1993: TGIF becomes available via the Internet.
     
  • 1993: 25,000th record is entered into TGIF.
     
  • 1997: TGIF becomes available via the World Wide Web.
     
  • 1997: TIC relocates to dedicated space on the 3rd floor of the West Wing of the Main Library.
     
  • 1998: TIC Endowment Campaign is launched with a $1 million challenge grant from the USGA Turf Research Program.
     
  • 1998: 50,000th record is entered into TGIF.
     
  • 2000: TIC receives on indefinite loan the Noer/Milorganite® Division MMSD Image Collection.
     
  • 2001: TGIF "Basic Search" debuts.
     
  • 2002: TIC makes available its first digital archive website for the USGA Green Section Record (1921-present).
     
  • 2002: USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online is launched - the first online-only electronic resource hosted by the Turfgrass Information Center.
     
  • 2003: TIC receives the Scott's Company Archive, which is partially housed in the MSU Libraries' Special Collections.
     
  • 2003: The James B Beard Turfgrass Library Collection is dedicated within the Turfgrass Information Center.
     
  • 2005: 100,000th record is entered into TGIF.
     
  • 2005: TIC launches a redesigned public website, including a blog, as well as a complete overhaul of TGIF's search interface.
     
  • 2006: Entries from Beard's Turfgrass Encyclopedia for Golf Courses, Lawns, Sports Fields are made available through TGIF's Basic Search.
     
  • 2007: 50 academic institutions have perpetual access to the TGIF database.
     
  • 2008: The Turfgrass Information Center undergoes an major physical overhaul/renovation of its space, including dedicated student workstations, staff offices, and secure external walls.
     
  • 2012: 200,000th record is entered into TGIF.
     
  • 2012: 50% of TGIF records link to the Full-Text of the item.
     
  • 2013: PDF views of TIC-hosted materials break the 10+ million mark yearly.
     
  • 2014: The Noer/Milorganite® Image Collection website launches.
     
  • 2014: The Turfgrass Information File passes a quarter million records.
     
  • 2014: Debut of "Rapid Results" browse interfaces for TGIF.
     
  • 2014: TIC begins working to ensure the ongoing preservation of vital online turfgrass resources with the creation of the Digital Curation student team.
     
  • 2015: TGIF passes 100,000 records indexed with controlled subject keywords.
     
  • 2015: TIC's public website gets redesigned.
     
  • 2018: TIC celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the O.J. Noer Memorial Turfgrass Collection.
     
  • 2018: TGIF passes 150,000 records indexed with controlled subject keywords.
     
  • 2019: TGIF's Basic Search algorithm is overhauled to improve searchability
     
  • 2019: TIC takes receipt of a large donation of materials from the late Dr. James B Beard
     
  • 2020: The Turfgrass Information Center temporarily pivots to a remote entry model for the first time in departmental history. In addition to work being created remotely, records were entered into TGIF via batch loading for the first time, as well. 
     
  • 2021: Pete Cookingham retires as Head of Department after 35 years of service to the turfgrass industry
     
  • 2023: The Noer Collection officially becomes the collection of use, while the Beard Collection is designated the collection of archive within the MSU Library.