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

Click on the image above to jump straight to the library's updated "What's New" page.

The VDOT Research Library receives hundreds of new print publications and countless electronic documents every quarter, from publishers you rely on like: AASHTO, ASTM, TRB and too many others to count. 

Check out the latest update to our "What's New Page" to see selected new items added in the past 90 days. Library staff review new acquisitions, select some of the most relevant items, then group them by category to save your time and energy. The new online listing lets you choose "Ship to me" or "Hold for me" and so we can reserve your items (first come first served!) and ship them free of charge to any VDOT employee, in any district or division! 

This quarter we are highlighting the recently updated Virginiaroads.org Open Data Portal. This publicly accessible site pulls together a variety of VDOT project information in one place for a general public audience, to assist citizens, elected officials, local government partners and others in getting current information quickly and in an easy-to-understand format. We've also added this site to the library's A-Z Resource List for quick and easy access.

These days, we also have an Online Recommendation Form VDOT employees can use to suggest new items for our collections. We'll consider anything that's within the scope of our collection development policy. 

If you have questions about library collections please contact Gil Kenner (434-293-1926) and if you have questions about borrowing contact Barb Neyman (434-293-1902).

As always, we're here to help!

Gil Kenner

(434) 293-1926

VDOT Research Library

Employees on the VDOT network can now access Books24x7 resources with a single click.  No extra user name/password needed! 

VDOT's Human Resources Workforce Development and the VDOT Research Library are excited to announce a new and dramatically improved version of Skillsoft's Books24x7, which features nearly 80,000 E-Books and videos.

Books24x7 has been one of the agency's most popular subscriptions for years, due to its world class IT, business and professional development resources.

Now you'll notice a dramatically improved interface with features like "Recently Viewed" and "Recommended for You" elements (based on your viewing history). Plus, as if E-books and desktop videos weren't enough, the new version comes with more than 1,000 Book Summaries (think Cliff's Notes for busy readers) and 1,000 audio books. 
 

Whether you're a long-time user of Books24x7 or brand new to the system, you'll love the streamlined new interface and enhanced content and functionality!

First Login: How to create an account 

1. Make sure you are connected to the VDOT network, either "at the office" or remotely through VPN. 

2. Make sure you are using Internet Explorer, the ONLY browser that supports "single sign-on" authentication at VDOT.

3. Click this link: https://vdot.skillport.com/skillportfe/custom/login/saml/login.action?

4. Congrats, you now have an account!

 

If you followed the steps above a new account should have been created for you. We recommend you create your new account this way from your desktop, not from your Smartphone, OK?

Stay tuned, next week we'll provide detailed instructions on how you can access Books24x7 from your home PC, mobile devices like a tablet PC, and of course from your Smartphone using a special mobile app. For questions and to learn more, check out this Books24x7 Quick Start Guide.

If you have questions please contact the Virtual Campus Support Services team or the VDOT Research Library for support.  We're here to help!  

Ken Winter
VDOT Research Library
434-962-8979

Everyone knows the library catalog is great place to start searching the library's collections right? For an overview, you'll definitely want to check out this handy guide to catalog basics. But did you know that you can send a "direct request" from to the catalog? You never have to leave your desk!

After you find something in the catalog using your Virtual Library Card account you can can submit an online request to have it shipped directly to your office for free! You can also request that an item be pulled from the shelf, checked out, and held at the library for pickup at your convenience.

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Once you've signed in, successfully run a search, and found an item you are interested in, click on the item's title in the "Brief Record" as shown below:

Step 2: This opens the "Full Record" display. At the bottom of the full record look for the "Items" box and select "Request Item" (the shopping cart icon). Be sure to note the status of the item as well. The example below indicates the item is "Available" 

Tip: Be sure to note the status of the item. In this case is says "Available" but some items may show a status that indicates they are not available.

Step 3: A "Request Item" dialog box should appear. Select your delivery method (either "Hold at the library for me to pick up" or "Ship this to me at no charge"), and add any additional information (for example, special shipping instructions, etc.), then click the "Request Item" button as shown below:

Step 4: Finally, click the close button to complete the transaction:

That's it! Library staff are notified immediately and we'll ship requested item(s) directly to your office free of charge (usually within 24 hours) or have them ready for you to pick up right away.

If you still have questions about our catalog, collections or services, don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help!

Gil Kenner
(434) 293-1926
VDOT Research Library

On August 21, 2017, AASHTO released the third of three 2017 updates (see this previous Connections post from June for more on earlier updates) to the web-based edition of the Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing, and the AASHTO Provisional Standards, 2017 Edition, commonly referred to as the Materials Standards.

This August 2017 Update included 8 new and 23 revised standards, and updated the sections on Geotechnical, Bituminous Materials, and Mixtures.

Don't forget, the VDOT library provides all VDOT employees with direct access to these and many other critical AASHTO standards through ASTM Compass. You can also check out this handy "Quick-Start Guide" to using ASTM Compass for more details. 

As always, if you have any questions at all about these latest AASHTO updates, using ASTM Compass, or anything else at all, don't hesitate to ask! We're here to help!

Gil Kenner
(434) 293-1926
VDOT Research Library