Ken Winter (far right) represented VDOT at a September 21 "Product Advisory Council" meeting at ASTM International's headquarters. 

There's an awesome quote that goes something like this: "If you don't have a seat at the table, bring your own chair." 

That was not necessary for VDOT last week, as the VDOT Library literally had a seat at ASTM International's headquarters to participate in a Product Advisory Council (PAC) focused on the ASTM Compass database, core transportation resources in that database, training resources, and some cool new products ASTM is considering. 

Members of the PAC came from other state DOTs (including Tennessee DOT), Private Industry (including Martin Marietta and ArcelorMittal) and engineering firms (like Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates). The group was there to discuss product features, brainstorm new product suggestions, and guide implementation of services consistent with the ASTM mission, strategic plan, and direction provided by ASTM business models. Topics included: 

• Assessing and validating ASTM ideas for products and features, and assess how products are being used.
• Considering challenges users may have with products.
• Reviewing future technologies that customers are evaluating and how this will impact the future of ASTM products and services.
• Determining the best features/least appealing features of the product.

To get a better sense of some of the cool new products and features ASTM is considering releasing in the near future check out these presentation slides from ASTM. 

Since ASTM Compass is the single most used subscription database at VDOT we wanted to arrive fully prepared to represent YOUR opinions as front-line users at VDOT, so we conducted a VDOT user-satisfaction survey of ASTM Compass this summer. After all, why waste a seat at the table? Thank you to the 79 VDOT employees who responded to our survey!

Your responses were compiled in this white paper: Use of the ASTM Compass Database at the Virginia Department of Transportation: Results of a 2017 User-Satisfaction Survey Conducted by the VDOT Research Library and ASTM was keenly interested in what you had to say.  As was the library.

In fact, as a result of your survey responses, we will soon be enhancing our outreach and promotion of ASTM Compass, working to streamline authentication, and are planning a Webinar with ASTM trainers.  Stay tuned for more soon!

If you've never used ASTM Compass (or it has been a while), check out this Quick Start Guide.  It is a really cool resource. 

Got a question about ASTM Compass or any other resource?  We're here to help. 

Ken Winter
VDOT Research Library
434-962-8979