View Project

G2S Project Code: 2022-AR-91261
State: Arkansas
Fiscal Year: 2022
Grantee
Arkansas State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Katie Walton
Director Phone: 501-682-2266
Director Email: katie.walton@ade.arkansas.gov
General Information
Title: Traveler- Statewide Databases
State Project Code: 21
Start Date: 10/01/2022
End Date: 09/30/2023
Abstract: The Traveler project provided statewide access to a collection of subscription digital resources for all Arkansas residents. Access to all Traveler digital resources was accessible from the Arkansas State Library's website. All public, school, and academic libraries in the state could also register their IP addresses with the Arkansas State Library to enable institutional access, which allowed individual libraries the ability to seamlessly integrate Traveler's exceptional information resources with their own digital collections. Since the State Library used geolocation authentication, no additional login was required for remote access. The Traveler resources ensured that every person in the state had the same access to high quality research and learning materials. Educators used the resources when the pandemic forced them to restructure their lessons through remote instruction. Similarly, librarians expanded their program offerings to serve their communities near and far. The Arkansas State Library provided training and assistance for both technical and end users through webinars, workshops, and instructional materials.
State Goal: Enhance Access to Information for Lifelong Learning
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$779,262.00
$0.00
$0.00
$779,262.00
Intent(s)
Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
General (select only for electronic databases or other data sources)
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Consultation
Narrative: State Library staff provided phone and email consultation to any library that needed assistance with the Traveler digital resources. Several webinars, tutorials, and LibGuides were added to the State Library’s website to support asynchronous training on the resources. The State Library’s website provided an email address and phone number for any Traveler related questions. Staff addressed general questions, authentication questions, reference questions, best practices, troubleshooting, and offered tailored training. While the primary focus was on building asynchronous training opportunities, State Library staff also presented at several conferences for school librarians, public librarians, and Arkansas educators. The Traveler facilitator and Youth Services Coordinator presented a series of virtual trainings to the Cooperative Education groups in the state. Throughout the summer they hosted full-day workshops with a combined five hours of training for Professional Development credit. This was a wonderful way to reach teachers throughout the state.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Combined in-person & virtual


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 458
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 38


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 227
Academic Libraries: 51
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 36
School Libraries: 1056
Other: 0
Activity Details
Title: Resource Acquisition
Narrative: The Arkansas State Library Traveler Advisory Committee is comprised of representatives from school, public, academic, and special libraries. They were charged with the evaluation, selection, and procurement of digital resources. In 2022, new Traveler Advisory Committee members were selected, and they began serving as liaisons between their colleagues and the AR State Library to communicate any needs or concerns. Committee members also prepared for the most labor-intensive activity of their three-year term- the triannual Request for Proposals (RFP) and resource selection process taking place in 2023. The Traveler Project provided 74 resources through four vendors.
Intent: Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Digital


Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 74
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 0
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 227
Academic Libraries: 51
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 36
School Libraries: 1056
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Traveler provided access to high quality digital resources to all types of libraries through the state. The Traveler Resources ensured that their patrons always had access to a core collection of learning and research materials. During FY2022, Arkansas State Library staff continued to offer training opportunities on the Traveler resources and provided several instructional sessions on the Traveler program in-person, virtually, and through asynchronous communication. State Library staff spent significant time rewriting the Traveler Request for Proposals (RFP) document in preparation of the RFP process in FY 2023. In preparation of the upcoming RFP, State Library staff disseminated a survey to librarians and teachers in Arkansas to gather their opinions on the current Traveler resources. The survey received 263 responses, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Respondents praised the Traveler program, the value of the resources, and the cost savings it afforded them.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Increased usage and interest in the Traveler Resources proved that they were vital to the success of Arkansas residents with a variety of learning and informational needs. We challenged ourselves to find creative ways to promote the resources to new users- especially in the face of the ongoing pandemic. We will continue to create training guides and online tutorials to educate Arkansas citizens about the Traveler Digital Resources.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Promoting the use and visibility of the Traveler portal through the State Library’s website along with its seamless access, instructional resources, and guidelines to facilitate instructional program registration was paramount to the success of the project. It was also important to have a thorough understanding of the diverse and changing needs of the community to insure database selections were appropriate. This was accomplished by monitoring and evaluating the databases through usage statistics, librarians’ input, and discussion among the Traveler Advisory Committee.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
Yes
Explain:
Managing the program will take more effort next year. We will be reevaluating our resources through a formal bidding process in FY 2023. This will include reviewing proposals, meeting with the Advisory Committee, possibly negotiating new contracts, implementing new resources, updating the website and current informational guides, creating marketing materials, and providing training opportunities.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: Yes
Exemplary NarrativeTraveler provided access to reputable digital resources for every Arkansas resident, which enabled them to meet their personal, educational, and professional goals from anywhere in the state. Traveler was an invaluable supplement to library resources for the citizens of Arkansas. The Arkansas State Library is the only agency providing exceptional online digital resources for K-12 students, academic, public, or special libraries. Neither libraries nor schools had the resources to purchase database subscriptions independently. The Traveler program also provided a large return on investment to the state. The program facilitator reached out to each of the Traveler vendors and asked them to give her the cost of their products if each of the libraries in the state were to pay for their own individual subscription. Overall, the State Library’s subscription to the Traveler resources saved Arkansas schools and libraries over $53 million dollars.
Project Tags: digital resources; digital reference