My apologies to anyone who thought I'd gone missing.  I knew I was overdue to post on K-TOC, but didn't realize how long it had actually been (far too long).

I've come out of hibernation to let K-TOC users know about an upcoming FREE webinar hosted by Transportation Research Board (TRB) called "Knowledge is Power: How TRB's Databases Improve Access to Transportation Research."  The description states that the session "will explore practical tips for using the Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS), Research in Progress (RiP), and Research Needs Statements (RNS) databases."  New features have been added to the databases this past year, including the ability to create RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, so if you haven't used these databases recently, this webinar is a great opportunity to find out about the new features and how to use them.  The webinar is scheduled for Monday, April 19, 2010, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm Central Daylight Time (2:00pm to 3:30pm Eastern Daylight Time).  It will be moderated by K-TOC member Ken Winter, of the Virginia Dept. of Transportation.  And it bears repeating: this is a FREE session!  For more information, and to register for the webinar, go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/228672896

There's another bit of news about the TRIS database, one of those to be covered in the April webinar.  For several years, the internet version of the database, called TRIS Online, was hosted through the National Transportation Library (NTL) website.  In January 2010, access to TRIS Online was shifted from the NTL website to the TRB website.  Its new address is http://tris.trb.org.  Sign up for the April 19th webinar to learn tips for using the new TRIS interface, and other techniques to find the information you need in the TRB databases.

Happy Spring, everyone!

I just read in the Transportation Communications Newsletter that a new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) has been published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).  Yesterday's press release from US DOT is here.  The starting page for all MUTCD information is http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/.   The page linking to the new edition as well as the two prior editions (2003, and the 2000 Millenium Edition) can be found here.

The library at the Institute for Transportation Studies (ITS) at UC-Berkeley has a program in place which allows public employees in California to request and obtain copies of research reports, manuals, and other publications at no charge.  For a trial period which began on October 1, this program will allow ALL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IN THE U.S. who are involved in transportation to submit requests for publications.

The program is called Going...Going...Gone (or "G3"), and it enables the ITS Library to get rid of multiple duplicate copies, and gets those duplicates to public employees in transportation who can utilize those information resources.  From now through December 15, 2009, items will be available to public employees nationwide.  Requestors can come from any level of government: federal, state, local, tribal, or regional.  Did I mention these publications are FREE?

To see what publications are available and submit requests, go to the G3 website.  No password is needed to browse available publications, but users will need to register to request materials.  The requestor's e-mail address and other contact information must indicate that the person works for a public agency.  Requests can be made directly by public employees through the G3 website; you don't need to go through your state DOT Library.  If you have any questions about the G3 program, you may contact the ITS Library by calling 510-642-3604 or writing to itslib@berkeley.edu.

The administrative costs of the program are covered by the California Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and the ITS Library.  Funding for the additional mailing costs comes from the National Transportation Knowledge Network (TKN) Resource Sharing Project, by a grant from the Transportation Library Connectivity Pooled Fund Study -- a study in which KDOT is a proud participant.

Remember, it's only for a couple of months, so visit the G3 website SOON and see what's available!

About a month ago, the Library reached a milestone.  We now have over 10,000 records cataloged in OCLC 's WorldCat database.  Our complete catalog is only available to KDOT employees on our intranet, but we're adding both new and older items to our WorldCat holdings all the time.

While it's fantastic to be able to search the holdings of thousands of libraries online at http://www.worldcat.org , if you want to search specifically for transportation-related resources, WorldCat's results can be overwhelming.  The Transportation Libraries Catalog, or TLCat, allows you to search the WorldCat holdings of only transportation libraries -- more than 30 of them, including the KDOT Library.  Libraries must purchase a subscription to TLCat to access all of its features, but there is also a Guest View available online at no cost to users, hosted by the National Transportation Library.  To check out the Guest View of TLCat, go to this page on the NTL site and click the TLCat logo.  If you need any tips on searching, drop me a line through my K-TOC page, and I'll be glad to help.

K-TOC members and readers in Northeast Kansas who want to know more about other Web 2.0 sites and tools should consider attending PodCamp Topeka on Saturday, Sept. 19.  It will be held at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.  (See the main PodCamp page for registration information.)  The following is from the event listing on TSCPL's calendar page:

"PodCamp isn't just about podcasting! If you're interested in blogging, social media, social networking, podcasting, video on the net, if you're a podsafe musician (or want to be), or just someone curious about new media, then please join us -- and bring a friend or colleague. For information call 785-580-4601."

If you attend the event and find out what a "podsafe musician" is, please let me know!

If you don't have a library card, now is the time to get one, because September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month.  Libraries aren't just about books -- boring, outdated, dusty books.  Libraries are the place for both information and entertainment, research and relaxation.  You can check out DVDs and music CDs as well as bestselling books.  (I watched The Goodbye Girl on DVD last week...twice!)  You can use the library's computers to access the internet, or bring your own laptop and use their free wi-fi service (it's now offered in many public libraries).  See this short article from TSCPL for more services for cardholders.  (And for the record, I'm a big fan of books, even a few dusty and outdated ones.)

Obviously, the KDOT Library has a different purpose, and serves a specific group of customers: KDOT employees, and others working in the transportation field or researching its issues.  But the basic mission is the same: to provide our customers with the information resources they need, when they need them.  The KDOT Library is as close as your computer.

Patrick already posted information about the new traffic laws on his blog yesterday, but I wanted to share a quick follow-up.  I just learned today that the State Library of Kansas has a blog called Kansas Government Information.  They posted information there about the "Right Lane law" yesterday, too, including links to a few other states that have "Drive on the Right" laws, and two more websites with additional information.  Read more about it here.

Safe travels to you this holiday weekend.

The March/April 2009 issue of TR News (no. 261), published by Transportation Research Board (TRB), has several articles about transportation library services and information professionals.  The first main article on page 10 is "Libraries in a Digital Age," written by Rita Evans, Director of the Harmer E. Davis Library at the Institute of Transportation Studies, UC-Berkeley.  The PDF of the complete issue is available through the TRB site, here.  Skim through the articles, read the informative sidebars, and see how many times Kansas DOT is mentioned -- yes, we're in there!

The same issue also has a profile of Eugene R Russell, Sr., Professor Emeritus in Kansas State University's Civil Engineering Department, on page 42.  Dr. Russell continues to do research and prepare reports for KDOT, including the much-requested Study of the Effect of ADA Accessibility on Kansas Roundabouts, published in November 2008.

When I interviewed for this job in 2003, I recall saying that I had no experience with transportation publications, but if hired, I was sure I'd soon learn, "for example, which journal is The New Yorker of transportation publications."  We were in the conference room at the Materials and Research Center, and I still remember Dick McReynolds pointing to one section of the bookshelves and saying, "There it is."  He was referring to the Transportation Research Record, or TRR, which contains peer-reviewed articles selected from the papers presented at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting, always held in January.

As expected, it did not take long for me to learn that TRB was among the most respected and influential organizations in transportation, and that their publications were a critical subset of the KDOT Library collection.  Many of these items are published within specific series.  In addition to the TRRs, TRB publishes Special Reports, Transportation Research Circulars, and Conference Proceedings.  Under the TRB "umbrella," there are several Cooperative Research Programs for different areas of interest, such as highways (NCHRP), transit (TCRP), and aviation (ACRP).  And, there are multiple series published by each of these programs as well: Reports, Syntheses, Research Results Digests, Legal Research Digests, and annual reports.

We try to have as many full PDFs of TRB publications in the KDOT Electronic Library Catalog as we possibly can.  Our staff and temps did a lot of scanning over a 6-year period of older TRRs, NCHRP Reports, TRB Special Reports, and other items to make the full-text publications available to KDOT employees.  (The Electronic Library Catalog is on KDOT's intranet, not our public site.)  Fortunately, in recent years, nearly all of TRB's print publications have been issued electronically as well.  Newer items in many of the serial publications I listed above can be located from this TRB page (which I use a lot), and most can be freely downloaded.  The electronic versions of the TRRs are only available by subscription, but if you work in a DOT or other transportation agency, your institution might already have access to that service.

If you need assistance locating a TRB publication or finding what you need through the TRB site, I can help you.  In the rare and potentially scary event that you need a TRB publication that the KDOT Library does not own (gasp!), don't worry, I can still get it for you.  I've got connections.

April 12 - 18, 2009, is National Library Week.  What better way to celebrate than to start a conversation on K-TOC?  Well, maybe if I gave you some chocolate chip cookies (and kept a couple for myself), that would be more fun for us -- but as I don't have any cookies, launching a blog is the next best thing.

Back in 2006, my colleagues at Ohio DOT Library put up signs for National Library Week which said, "Bother Us, It's Our Job!"  That has stayed with me, because it's true: one of the most important aspects of my work is to help you, the transportation professional, with your work, by locating and accessing the best information resources available.  Whether you have a straightforward question ("When did the State Highway Commission become the Kansas DOT?") or a more complex research inquiry ("Do we have any recent studies / articles / data on inorganic versus organic zinc paint testing?"), you can bring it to me for help in finding the answers.

I'd like the Information Station to be the entry point for K-TOC members (especially KDOT staff and other transportation professionals who aren't in Topeka) to access the KDOT Library's services and resources.  If you're seeking relevant and reliable transportation information, the KDOT Library is just a few clicks away.