Post on 15-Jan-2016
Welcome!Welcome!
Collaboration and Resource Sharing in Small Specialized LibrariesApril 2013
OLA/WLA Conference
Presenters:
Laura Wilt – Oregon Department of TransportationKathy Szolomayer – Washington State Department of Transportation
What We’ve Done & How We Did ItWhat We’ve Done & How We Did It
Introduction to the LandscapeThe PlayersNetworks & NetworkingCommunicationAccomplishments & BenefitsWhat’s Next for Us?
Tips to Start & Lessons LearnedQ & A
Transportation LibrariesTransportation Libraries
Who are they?
•Generally small, either solo librarians or small staff
•Federal, state, and local governments, as well as corporations
•Serve a wide variety of information needs within and outside of the parent organization
The PlayersThe Players
The Players
We are a Community!We are a Community!
From Local Customers . . .From Local Customers . . .
DOT Library
Planners
Administration(Director’s office,
etc.)Public
Special Programs
Other DOTs/Agencies/
Corporations
Engineers
ResearchOther
Libraries
. . . To the National Landscape. . . To the National Landscape
State DOTs
AASHTO
FHWA/US DOT
TRB
Other TransportationOrganizations
The NetworksThe Networks
The NetworksThe Networks
TRBLIST
The Networked Librarian!
SLATransportation
Division
TKNs
FHWAPooled Fund Study
AASHTO RACTKN Task Force
National Transportation
Library
TransportationLibrarians
Roundtable
The Networks (Cont.)The Networks (Cont.)
In the Beginning
SLA Transportation Division (1943)
•GTRIC (1977)
Networks (Cont.)Networks (Cont.)
And Then…
TRB’s Committee on Library and Information Science in Transportation (1999)
National Transportation Library (1998)
•US DOT Library formed (1969)
•NTL & US DOT Library merged (2008)
The Networks (Cont.)The Networks (Cont.)
Transportation Library Connectivity and Development
FHWA Pooled Fund Studyhttp://libraryconnectivity.org/
The Networks (Cont.)The Networks (Cont.)
And things really started speeding up with
Transportation Knowledge
Networks!
The Networks (Cont.)The Networks (Cont.)
The Networks (Cont.)The Networks (Cont.)
National CoordinatingCommitteeand NTL
Western Transportation
KnowledgeNetwork (WTKN)
MidwestTransportation
KnowledgeNetwork (MTKN)Future
Regional & TopicalTKNs
EasternTransportation
KnowledgeNetwork (ETKN)
The Networks (Cont.)The Networks (Cont.)
And remember that map?
The Networks, (Cont.)The Networks, (Cont.)
But wait – there’s more!
Transportation Librarian’s Roundtable
AASHTO RAC TKN Task Force
How we FunctionHow we Function
•Grassroots effort
•Membership voluntary
•No membership fees
•Pooled Fund study provides some funding for projects that benefit the community
•SLA Transportation Division hosts TranLIB
How We CommunicateHow We Communicate
How We CommunicateHow We Communicate
Listservs
•TKN Listservs
•Pooled Fund Listserv (Libcon)
•SLA Transportation Division (Tranlib)
How We CommunicateHow We Communicate
•Virtual/Web-based
•Face-to-Face
•GTRIC (SLA Conference)
•Pooled Fund annual meeting
•National Transportation Knowledge Networks (NTKN) annual meeting
Meetings
How We CommunicateHow We Communicate
Websites
•WTKN
•MTKN
•ETKN
•Individual library pages
Projects, Products, & MarketingProjects, Products, & Marketing
Creating a brand – making our stamp. How do we make ourselves
known to our customers??
Projects, Products, & MarketingProjects, Products, & Marketing
Publications
Projects, Products, & MarketingProjects, Products, & Marketing
TKN Video, courtesy of Oklahoma DOT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqkv4MZXdss
Projects, Products, & MarketingProjects, Products, & Marketing
Digital Projects
Projects, Products, & MarketingProjects, Products, & Marketing
Templates for Reports and PowerPoints
Projects, Products, & MarketingProjects, Products, & Marketing
National TKN Resource Sharing ProjectNov 2008 – Mar 2010
Sponsored by Transportation Library Connectivity Pooled Fund Study grant to subsidize FedEx shipping for nearly 50 transportation libraries and information centers across the country
Objectives: Prioritized lending for TKN partners; access to ILL network for non-OCLC libraries; no cost to borrowers
Result: Increased resource sharing within the network, decreased turnaround time on requests and non-OCLC libraries had access to collections previously not available to them
Outstanding SuccessesOutstanding Successes
Transportation libraries and librarians on the awards podium!
•MnDOT Library: ALA’s John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award (2012)
•SLA Rising Stars 2013: Kendra Levine from ITS Berkeley and Aileen Marshall, USDA Nat’l Agricultural Library (formerly from National Transportation Library)
•Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers award: Kenn Bicknell from LA Metro
What’s next for us?What’s next for us?
On tap for emerging or future projects
•Collaborative digitization projects
•Shared literature searches / research results – why reinvent the wheel?
•Continued group subscriptions
•Portal for transportation-related knowledge management resources
•The sky’s the limit!
So, this sounds good, but…So, this sounds good, but…
How would such a network benefit me?
•Career / Professional Development
•Access to colleagues who are sounding boards (especially important to solo librarians)
•Educational opportunities through webinars, peer exchange, conferences
•The “energizing jolt” of associating with peers – renews one’s professional idealism, and can motivate and inspire us to reach for new goals
•Develop amazing friendships!
This still sounds good …This still sounds good …
How do I translate it to my situation?? How would I get something started?
•Identify the types of libraries that would share a similar range of interest. And remember - it doesn’t have to be identical!
•Start with what you know. Contact other librarians that you know, share your ideas with them, and obtain contacts from them.
•Think outside the box. Sometimes, good contacts might come from outside of traditional libraries.
•Begin meeting on a regular basis; establish goals and structure.
•Outreach and network!!
Okay, how do I . . .Okay, how do I . . .
How do I justify participation in organizations outside my agency/corporations?
•Keep statistics. Show how services can increase with expanded resources through networked libraries.
•Electronic subscriptions will continue to become the norm, putting budget constraints on individual libraries. Collaborative subscriptions can offer significant discounts.
•Give the decision makers an opportunity to see what other organizations are doing, and what could be accomplished through shared resources.
•Find and develop advocates from your management
•Market yourself! Show how participation can make your library an even more valuable resource to your organization and community.
I’m sold! Now . . .I’m sold! Now . . .
How do you get the funding to get started?
Finally -
Money??Money??
Who said anything about money???
Finding SupportFinding Support
•Most organizations recognize the benefits of professional development, and may offer support by allowing time to participate, providing software for virtual meetings – sometimes funding professional memberships and conference attendance
•Potential for grants, etc., for collaborative projects
•Show how you are aligned with your organization’s mission, and build on that
•Engage folks within your organization to enlist their support
•State libraries can be great resources
Finding the ConnectionsFinding the Connections
Expanding the NetworksExpanding the Networks
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
• Just do it! If you think collaboration/networking would help you, it will probably be of interest to others
• Identify some objectives that a group might be able to accomplish that you cannot do on your own
• Build on existing informal relationships or establish new and creative connections
• Be assured that small amounts of time with a focused community can return big benefits
Conclusion and Q & AConclusion and Q & A
Contact Information:Laura: Laura.e.wilt@odot.state.or.us
Kathy: Szolomk@wsdot.wa.gov
Questions?