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Transportation Library Quick Guide: Information Management: Overview

What's in This Quick Guide

Overview

Fundamental services of a transportation library.

Circulation

Systems for circulating books, online materials and other resources.

Cataloging

Standards and classifications in cataloging.

Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan

Expanding the reach of a library and its collection.

Additional Resources

Supplemental resources for more information.

Definitions/Abbreviations

Definitions of terms, abbreviations and acronyms used in the Quick Guide.

Introduction

The Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science defines information management as the “skillful exercise of control over the acquisition, organization, storage, security, retrieval and dissemination of the information resources essential to the successful operation of a business, agency, organization or institution.”

Managing information is at the core of the day-to-day operations of a transportation library or information center. This Quick Guide focuses on four elements of a full-service transportation library’s daily operations:

  • Circulation
  • Cataloging
  • Document delivery
  • Interlibrary loan

Audience

The guidance in this Quick Guide is appropriate for DOTs with or without library spaces that manage print or digital resources.

Information management: the “skillful exercise of control over the acquisition, organization, storage, security, retrieval and dissemination of the information resources essential to the successful operation of a business, agency, organization or institution.”  — Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science

About the Pooled Fund

Transportation Research and Connectivity logoThe Transportation Research and Connectivity pooled fund study, TPF-5(442), is a consortium of state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other partners that supports the coordinated development of transportation libraries as well as research organizations without dedicated libraries. Study focus areas include communication and networking, digitization, research report accessibility, and developing online resource guides and a toolkit for non-librarians.

Featured Resource

American Libraries journal cover

"Catalog Locally, Share Globally: RDA’s Cataloging Evolution Continues With the 3R Project," James Hennelly, American Libraries, July 2021.
This online journal article describes the Resource Description and Access (RDA) Toolkit Restructure and Redesign Project, a new cataloging standard. Also called the 3R Project, RDA moves away from creating records to creating useful metadata.

Authors and Contributors

This Quick Guide was prepared by CTC & Associates LLC for the Transportation Research and Connectivity pooled fund study, TPF-5(442), under the guidance of the following members of the study's technical advisory committee:

This guide is a living document that is intended to be revised and updated to incorporate new resources. To suggest a resource for inclusion, please contact one of the committee members listed above.

Publication date:December 2022.