Below is a summary of discussions and the direction working group members chose to take the White Paper. The project was completed in 2022 and the finished product PDF can be accessed in the White Paper/Synthesis Final Deliverable section above.
A white paper on the changing nature of transportation libraries in the 21st century will develop an evidence-based foundation to help research organizations better understand the status, functions, and roles of library services, whether or not an organization operates an actual library. The white paper will identify recurring problems and recommend strategies to help organizations adapt to change within the coming years.
Based on working group discussions and discussions with CTC & Associates, the pooled fund members decided on the following topics, each with their own set of guiding questions. The topics are:
Library Services: Providing Services With and Without a Library
History of transportation agency library closures
Functional differences
User needs and satisfaction
Library Services: Engaging Agency Leadership and Partners
Leadership perspectives
Engaging partners
Library Services: Preparing for the Future
Transitioning to a digital library
Transitioning to a nonphysical library
Lessons learned from the pandemic
For more details, the scoping document can be found below.