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Transportation Networks Down Under: Tranzinfo

Slide 1
Performance Measurements for Transportation Libraries

Resource and expertise sharing by the transport libraries of Australia and New Zealand

Andrew Meier, ARRB Group, Australia Transportation Librarians Roundtable

9 October 2008

Slide 2
A brief Tranzinfo Background

• Formed in the early 1990's in Australia with later NZ involvement
• Currently approximately 20 active member libraries across government, academic and corporate sectors
• Steered by an annually elected committee of 3
• ARRB funding arrangement with governments across Australia includes providing Tranzinfo leadership
• Annual meeting - location on roster basis

Slide 3
Tranzinfo Libraries Web Page

• A screen copy of page http://www.tranzinfo.org/index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1 Itemid=5

Slide 4
Key Tranzinfo activities

• Hot Topics alert bulletins
• Automated interlibrary loan system
• Reference Group teleconferences
• Expertise sharing and Skills Bank
• Consortia purchasing

Slide 5
Hot Topics

• Alert bulletins highlighting a selection of resources published in last 2 years on topic of current interest
• Production shared by roster system amongst members but overseen by editing team
• 15 issues plus 5 updates since 2005
• Topics: Level crossing safety, PPPs, Alternative fuels, Skills shortages, Transport disadvantage
• Made available free on Tranzinfo website - under Publications at www.tranzinfo.org
• Actually markets the network to our client base

Slide 6
Tranzinfo Publication Web Page

• A screen copy of page http://www.tranzinfo.org/index.php?option=com_vfm Itemid=15 dir=Hot+Topics

Slide 7
Tranzinfo ILL system

• Holdings information and ILL agreements operating for many years
• Since 2007, 16 member libraries have shared journal holdings on system that incorporates automated requesting of individual articles
• Around 380 requests in last 12 months
• Began in 2008 to include conference proceedings and now includes over 300 conference titles

Slide 8
Reference Group teleconferences

• Began in 2007
• Aim to connect reference service staff and foster their professional development
• Topics: Marketing within your organisation, Web 2.0 for special libraries, Acquisitions tips   tricks
• Has led to greater communication across the network

Slide 9
Expertise sharing

• Active email listservs - for general, reference and ill-related communications
• Recorded skills of member library staff
• Member-only area Skills Bank on Tranzinfo website
• Library experience in subject area other than transport - law, medicine, business information
• Language skills

Slide 10
Consortia purchasing

• TRANSPORT database through Ovid
• Prosentient InterSearch ILL system
• Other opportunities reviewed each year at annual meeting

Slide 11
Why Tranzinfo works

• Small enough to achieve communication and cooperation
• Large enough to share workload and costs
• Effectively has a paid leader - most networks function in 'spare' time of library staff

Slide 12
What's on the way?

• Always looking for opportunities to expand our resource and knowledge sharing
• Initiatives must be within our means
• Begun investigating collaborative reference tools

Slide 13
ARRB's information initiatives

• Australian Transport Index (ATRI)
  A bibliographic database containing over 155,000 records of books, reports, journal articles, conference papers and electronic publications. Available online via subscription through Informit
• Transport and Road Update (TARU)
• Bibliographic alert bulletin. To become an RSS feed service during 2009 Australian and NZ content provider to ITRD

Slide 14
Contacts

Tranzinfo website: www.tranzinfo.org
ATRI database information: http://www.informit.com.au/indexes_ATRI.html

Andrew Meier
T: +61 3 9811 1603
Email: andrew.meier@arrb.com.au