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New Transportation Librarian Mentoring Program (NTKN): Resources for Transportation Librarians

Information for new transportation librarians, and application to the NTKN mentoring program.

NTL Resources

One of the National Transportation Library’s mandates, by law, is to provide outreach to transportation information professionals. Here are some resources you might want to explore:

  • The National Transportation Knowledge Network (NTKN) is the NTL’s primary outreach vehicle. Rosalyn Alleman, NTL Reference Librarian, is the NTKN coordinator (rosalyn.alleman@dot.gov).
  • The NTKN has three communities of practice which may be of interest to you (Advocacy, Digitization, and 508 Compliance). These meetings are announced, and links to them are provided, via Tranlib-L and the LibGuides NTKN Calendar
  • The Transportation Librarians Roundtable, which offers monthly presentations on timely and pertinent topics, serves as the professional development arm of our outreach endeavors.  TLR presentations are announced via Tranlib-L, the NTKN Calendar and other venues, with each presentation having a unique link to an online Teams meeting environment.
  • Tranlib-L is the listserv for transportation librarians. You can request hard-to-find items, learn about upcoming events, etc. To subscribe or unsubscribe to TRANLIB-L, you may send a message to mmolina@ou.edu with “Subscribe TRANLIB-L” OR “Unsubscribe TRANLIB-L” in the subject field. Posts to the list should go to TRANLIB-L@LISTS.OU.EDU

If you'd like to suggest any resources for this page, please contact Rosalyn Alleman at the NTL at rosalyn.alleman@dot.gov.

People and Communities

The Special Libraries Association Transportation Community (formerly the transportation division) is the part of SLA where transportation librarians help each other with document/book requests, publicize events, etc. The 2022 President is Rachel Cole, Jamie Luedtke is Chair Elect.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) committees relevant to libraries and information professionals:

  • Information and Knowledge Management

  • TRB Information Services Committee

AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation: New member guide

Linkedin Groups: 

Twitter Accounts:

  • @USDOTNTL (National Transportation Library)

  • @slatran (SLA Transportation Division)

  • @nasemtrb (Transportation Research Board)

  • @aashtospeaks (AASHTO)

Libraries, Databases, etc.

Databases:

  • NTL LibGuides: Resource guides created by NTL librarians and members of the National Transportation Knowledge Network. 
  • Research in Progress (RIP) - The Transportation Research Board's Research in Progress (RIP) Database contains information on more than 12,000 current or recently completed transportation research projects. RIP records primarily are projects funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and State Departments of Transportation. University transportation research also is included in the database.
  • ResearchHub - The USDOT Research Hub is a web-based, searchable database of USDOT-sponsored research, development, and technology project records. The database acts as a central repository for information on active and recently completed projects from USDOT's Operating Administrations, providing a comprehensive account of the Department’s research portfolio at the project level.
  • ROSA P - The National Transportation Library's Repository and Open Science Access Portal. The name ROSA P was chosen to honor the role public transportation played in the civil rights movement, along with one of the important figures, Rosa Parks.
  • Science.gov - Searches over 60 databases and over 2,200 scientific websites to provide users with access to more than 200 million pages of authoritative federal science information including research and development results.TRID - An integrated database that combines the records from TRB’s Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) Database and the OECD’s Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) Database. TRID provides access to more than 1.3 million records of transportation research worldwide.​​​​​​​

Libraries and Transportation Centers:

  • Center for Transportation Research (Univ of Texas at Austin) - A multidisciplinary and multimodal research institute at The University of Texas at Austin. Recognized as one of the leading university-based transportation research centers in the world, our researchers, faculty members, and students work together to promote cutting-edge developments in transportation science and technology.
  • Louisiana Transportation Research Center Library - The LTRC Library offers services to members of the LaDOTD and LSU communities, as well as other agencies, and the general public, for assistance in Transportation related research.
  • Northwestern Transportation Library: Home to materials on air, rail, highway, pipeline, water, and urban transportation and logistics
  • Texas A&M Transportation Institute - For 70 years, TTI has addressed complex transportation challenges and opportunities with innovation, objectivity and unmatched technical expertise. Our staff delivers excellence, value and thought leadership to ensure our research sponsors achieve their goals.
  • University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) - Focused on multidisciplinary research to advance safe, equitable, and efficient transportation and mobility. 
  • UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies - ITS hosts a number of faculty members from nine UC Berkeley academic departments and schools and approximately 150 researchers and students are associated with ITS through our various research and educational activities.
  • Volpe Center Library - The Volpe Center  in 1970 to serve as a federal resource positioned to provide world-renowned, multidisciplinary, multimodal transportation expertise on behalf of U.S. DOT’s operating administrations, the Office of the Secretary, and other federal agencies, state and local governments, academia, and industry.