This year’s GTRIC Roundtable will be held on on Saturday, June 8th from 8:00 to 12:00 pm. Session attendees are to meet in Room 25B of the San Diego Convention Center. D-TRAN Chair-Elect, A.J. Million will facilitate the event.

Welcome:  8:00 – 8:15 am

Introductions: 8:15 – 8:45 am

Los Angeles Metro & Public Private Partnerships: 8:45 – 9:30 am
Matt Barrett, Los Angeles Metro

Networking Update: 9:30 – 9:45 am
Carol Pazamant, ETKN Chair, Karen Perrin, MTKN Chair, Laura Wilt, WTKN Chair, Maggie
Sacco, HS InFocus, Mary Moulton, NTL

Coffee Break: 9:45 – 10:15 am

Innovation Award Presentation: 10:15 – 11:00 am
Kendra Levine, UC Berkley, Kenn Bicknell, Los Angeles Metro

Collaboration Workshop: 11:00 – 11:45 am

Wrap Up: 11:45 – 12:00 pm

Saturday, June 8, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, GTRIC Roundtable: General Transportation Information Committee

A ticketed event, the General Transportation Research Information Committee (GTRIC) Roundtable – formerly targeted to Government employees – is intended to provide a mixed forum to discuss the latest developments in Transportation. This year’s session will consist of a variety of speakers from both the public and private sectors. Topics will include the development of Transportation Knowledge Networks (TKNs), how long-term government funding concerns can be expected to impact construction contractors, new models of public-private cooperation, and the ongoing need for public transparency.

Sunday, June 9, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, Standards Update - Co-sponsor

The Standards Update is your opportunity to meet many of the standards development organizations (SDOs) and vendors. Learn about new developments and the latest product or technological innovations. Ask questions and provide feedback while the SDOs are all in the same room!

Sunday, June 9, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, Transportation Division Board Meeting

This Transportation Division (DTRN) Board Meeting is intended to provide officers an opportunity to address relevant business. The issues raised will be presented at the Annual Business Meeting. Members interested in leadership positions are also encouraged to attend.

Sunday, June 9, 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm, Transportation Division Business Meeting

This Annual Transportation Division (DTRN) Business Meeting is coupled with a special presentation titled, “Fact or Fiction: Is America’s Infrastructure Really Crumbling?” As part of this session, issues raised at the DTRN Board Meeting will be presented to those in attendance. New business will also be opened for discussion. All Division members are encouraged to attend, and a roundtable format will help to facilitate an informal – but lively – debate.

Monday, June 10, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Self-Defense for Librarians - Co-sponsor

Personal safety is especially important during conferences when many of us are visiting an unfamiliar city. In this workshop on self-defense techniques Evan Dzierzynski, Owner and Lead Coach of NOVA Self Defense, will show us how we can defend ourselves safely.

Monday, June 10, 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Open House - Co-sponsor

The Solo Division and Government Information Division Division invite you to join us for a few hours of fun, networking, food and great company! Celebrate another great conference with old and new friends.

Tuesday, June 11, 10:00 am to 11:30 am, Biofuels: Past, Present, Future - Co-sponsor

Biofuels have generated controversy and discussion ever since they were touted as an alternative to petroleum, please come and here what the history, present state of affairs and the future holds for biofuels

Tuesday, June 11, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, Crucial Confrontations - Co-sponsor

Tom Holloway (FAA) introduces the concept of “Crucial Confrontations”: a process for enhancing accountability, improving performance, and ensuring execution. By learning how to talk about violated expectations in a way that solves problems while improving relationships, you’ll improve individual, team, and organizational effectiveness.

The October issue of Kaleidoscope, the Quarterly Newsletter of the Special Libraries Association Transportation Division,  is online.

MnDOT Library learned this week that we have won an ALA 2012 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award!!

From the ALA website:

“One of the most prestigious awards given by the American Library Association (ALA) is the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, honoring outstanding library public relations, which is provided by the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA, a division of the American Library Association), in conjunction with the H.W. Wilson Foundation and EBSCO Publishing.” The award is open to all types and sizes of libraries.

And from the official announcement:

“The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) created the “moving knowledge” campaign to convey updated space and resources and improve outreach efforts. The space redesign transformed the library from a “bland government” look to a warm and inviting environment. The eye-catching marketing campaign succeeded in bringing in new MnDOT users from throughout the state. The Grand Reopening Event drew 65 percent more attendees than the last Open House, and daily visits to the library increased 1000 percent.”

A record 108 libraries applied for the award with eight winning libraries selected. The listing of winners from the past 10 years indicates that this award has been predominantly, if not exclusively, presented to public and academic libraries, so we are thrilled to be a “special library” recipient and even more pleased to be a transportation library winner.

Without the encouragement and backing of MnDOT Management including Commissioner Sorel, Bernie Arseneau, Nick Thompson, Jean Wallace, and Linda Taylor, this project simply would not have happened. Their belief that the campaign could help improve library services to better serve all MnDOT employees proved to be true, and we are forever grateful for their support!

The work leading up to applying for and winning an award of this magnitude is only possible with a dedicated and talented staff who are committed to excellence and working as a team. This group of extraordinary individuals includes Jim Byerly – Electronic Resources Librarian; Qin Tang – Technical Services Librarian; Karen Neinstadt – Reference and Outreach Librarian; Pam Gonzalez – Library Technician; Christie Schultz – Library Intern; and former Project Librarian – Anne Shelley.

Of equal importance and significance are our consultants: Law Library Consultants – Kathleen Bedor, President; Modern Design Group – Chris Foote, President; and Diane Foote Design Associates – Diane Foote, President.

Last, but not least, we would like to acknowledge any others who helped with this project along the way.

Jim created our application (a website), and Karen and I wrote the content with the rest of the staff proofreading and offering constructive suggestions for improvement. Our application may be viewed at: http://www.mtkn.org/JCDApp/

The official announcement is available at: http://www.llama.ala.org/llamaleads/?p=1222

This award follows the 2011 Special Libraries Association (SLA) Minnesota Chapter “Innovation in Action Award”
http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/slamn/2011/11/2011mnslainnovationinactionaward.html

 presented to us last fall for the same project, and last year’s Award of Merit from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators http://magconline.org/PDF/2011awardwinners.pdf

Thanks for allowing me to share – it’s been a great week!

Sheila Hatchell, MLIS
Chair – Special Libraries Association Transportation Division
Director, MnDOT Library
Minnesota Department of Transportation

Transportation Library Colleagues,

It is my honor and privilege to announce to you that Roberto Sarmiento has been designated a 2012 SLA Fellow.  Congratulations Roberto!   No more than five Fellows are designated in a given year.

From the SLA website:  “Fellowship in SLA is bestowed on mid-career SLA members in recognition of past, present, and future service to the Association and the profession.  The designation of Fellow is presented to active professionals who are not presently serving on the Board of Directors.  Fellows are called upon, and expected to advise the Association’s Board of Directors, to prepare necessary documentation, and to alert the membership to issues and trends warranting action.  Individuals receiving this honor will be able to use the title Fellow of the Special Libraries Association.”

 Roberto’s professional contributions include:

• Gift Management for Transportation Libraries: Observations and Recommendations
• A Collection Development Policy Template Proposal for Transportation Libraries
• Migration of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) records into TRIS (now TRID)
• The TLib Program – an agreement between the University of California – Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies Library and Northwestern University’s Transportation Library to contribute records into TRIS/TRID
• Migration of 3800 transportation theses records into TRIS/TRID
• Long-time member and past chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) B0002 Committee
• Original cataloging of National Technical Information Reports (NTIS) (another co-op project with UC – Berkeley’s ITS Library)
• Preservation of the SLA Transportation Division’s communications and organizational memory though establishment of the Division’s archives at Northwestern University’s Transportation Library
• Founder, supporter and sustainer of the Midwest Transportation Knowledge Network and the National Transportation Knowledge Network
• Forthcoming chair of the TRB Library and Information Science for Transportation (LIST) Committee and past committee member for many years

When Kate Arnold approached me last fall about this honor for Roberto, she asked if I would be able to gather the necessary information and documentation in a short time frame for her to arrange and submit to the awards committee.  She was well aware of working with Roberto in an SLA setting, but did not have much knowledge of his involvement with both the Transportation Division and the transportation information community at large.  It was an honor for me to perform this task, and in doing so, not only discovered the wide involvement of activities, committees and projects Roberto has been involved with, but also how much of Roberto’s involvement is dedicated to the greater good for all of us in our profession.  As part of my information gathering process, I want to thank the valuable input I received from Bob Sweet, Rita Evans, Barbara Post and Sheila Hatchell, each graciously giving of their time on very short notice.

Thanks again Roberto, your recognition is so well-deserved!

 John