ADOT library is focused on transportation research
ADOT library is focused on transportation research
Librarian Dale Steele oversees the collection at the ADOT Research Center Library. The library recently moved into a space previously occupied by the Roadrunner Cafe, a cafeteria for ADOT employees. The cafe moved out, but the sign stayed behind!
The ADOT Research Center Library might not carry any best-sellers, but where else are you going to find a title like, “Benefits of high volume fly ash: new concrete mixtures provide financial, environmental and performance gains”?
That study, published by the Federal Highway Administration in 2010, is on the shelves alongside thousands of publications – all of them focused on transportation planning and engineering.
Established in 1989 as part of the ADOT Research Center, the library is open to ADOT employees, transportation faculty in Arizona universities and others with an interest in transportation.
The goal is to keep a collection that not only preserves the information ADOT produces, but also includes reports from other state DOTs, transportation boards, federal transportation agencies and professional societies.
Librarian Dale Steele says having all this research and information on hand is valuable to ADOT employees who work each day on the state’s transportation system … it gives them recent data and a look at what other transportation departments are doing.
“Managing information is important to providing Arizona with a more efficient transportation system,” Steele says. “The library is a key part of getting current information to decision-makers.”
Steele searches online databases for the material and secures copies for the ADOT Research Center Library. He’ll often secure copies of ADOT reports for the state library and Arizona State University’s library.
Most states are starting to produce more of their information electronically, which means Steele doesn’t get a physical copy of the work. However, he does assist ADOT employees with literature searches and can access several online works.
“What we can do is find out what is out there and try to get it,” he said.
The ADOT library collection consists of nearly 30,000 books, magazines, videos and CDs! Here are a few more examples of titles lining the shelves …
* “Effects of yellow rectangular rapid-flashing beacons on yielding at multilane uncontrolled crosswalks,” Federal Highway Administration, 2010
* “Clarkdale transportation study,” ADOT, 2011
* “Roundabouts: an informational guide; second edition,” National Cooperative Highway Research Program, 2010
