Implementing a National Transportation Knowledge Network

1. Implementing a National Transportation Knowledge Network

2. "In a special library, the librarians have the knowledge that enables them to convert the data in the library into information for the clients. I am always amazed how much topical knowledge special librarians have....“ Peter Drucker -- Economist, author, professor

3. Transportation Information Infrastructure: Who are the players? American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Special Libraries Association’s TRANLIB e-mail discussion list Transportation Research Board (TRB) part of the National Research Council National Transportation Library (NTL) part of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT)

4. Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS) started in 1970 by TRB. • Currently funded by TRB members and hosted online by NTL. • TRIS is indexed with a standardized vocabulary from the Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT) beginning in 1996. • NTL founded 1998, originally a digital-only collection. • Later NTL charged with coordinating information sharing among transportation libraries and information providers.

5. 21st Century Developments December 2001: Midwest Transportation Knowledge Network (MTKN) formed with support from NTL.

6. Functions and Services of a TKN • Identification of key information providers and user groups, • Sharing of information and services, • Coordination of collections, • Interlibrary loan, • Sharing of catalogues, • Reference services, and • Professional capacity building for members.

7. 21st Century Developments, continued • 2004: TLCat launched with support from MTKN and OCLC. • Allows searching of multiple transportation libraries from a single interface. • Includes NTL, state DOT’s and other governments, universities and 5 Canadian libraries for a total of 41 libraries.

8. The Transportation Library Connectivity Pooled Fund Study October 2005 – Library Connectivity Pooled Fund Project begins with 11 members.

9. TRB Special Report 284 (2006) • AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Research asked TRB to study how to manage and provide transportation information.

10. LSTR and Pooled Fund Progress • March 2006 - Libraries Sharing Transportation Resources (LSTR), an OCLC Group Access Capability Group formed. • February 2007-Western Transportation Knowledge Network (WTKN) formed. • 15 members, ranging from Alaska to Texas. • Libraries from State DOT’s, universities, transit authorities, regional planning organizations and corporations are included.

11. 2007-2008 Developments • November 2007:Eastern Transportation Knowledge Network (ETKN) formed. • March 2008 - Pooled Fund Research Project Proposal to model and support a National TKN. • Currently 20 members in the Pooled fund. • June 2008: WTKN adopts Interlibrary Loan Guidelines.

12. Pooled Fund Research Project TPF-5(105) • Sponsored by NTL. • Assists non-OCLC libraries with online request form. • Encourages OCLC use by offering training and granting LSTR membership. • Discourages requests via personal e-mail and TRANLIB • FedEx account to absorb shipping costs between TKN libraries.

13. A bit of Red tape. • NTL keeps the statistics, so it can’t hold the money. • USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) will administer the funds...any day now!

14. How is this “ILL on the Cheap?” • By proposing this as a research project, it was easier to get funding and sponsorship. • Making the most of overlapping networks – the TKN’s, Pooled Fund participants, various Transportation libraries, and OCLC

15. Any Questions? Andrew Poultridge WSDOT Library PO Box 47425 310 Maple Park Ave SE Olympia WA 98504-7425 360-705-7018 v 360-705-6831 f poultra@wsdot.wa.gov