View Project

G2S Project Code: 2023-AR-93446
State: Arkansas
Fiscal Year: 2023

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: 10/01/2023
End Date: 09/30/2024
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 to supplement their classroom 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: Lifelong Learning

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$797,519.00

$0.00

$797,519.00

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: 1,039
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 87

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. They also served as liaisons between their colleagues and the AR State Library to communicate any needs or concerns. In 2023, the Traveler Advisory Committee completed their triannual Request for Proposals (RFP) and resource selection process. The Committee evaluated bids from 19 vendors and recommended resources for inclusion in the collection spanning August 1, 2024- July 31, 2027. After reevaluating the current collection and reviewing proposals, the Committee recommended changing the language learning platform to Pronunciator which freed up funds for other additions. Their recommended additions included ABC-Clio’s Social Studies resources, Science documentaries through ProQuest’s Alexander Street, and reference and mental health eBook packages in ProQuest’s eBook Central. The Traveler Project provided 72 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: 72
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

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 provided a foundation of learning and research materials that libraries could then build on. This ensured that students and library patrons always had access to a core collection of information regardless of their library’s budget. The Traveler Advisory Committee completed their triannual Request for Proposals (RFP) and resource selection process. The Committee evaluated bids from 19 vendors and recommended resources for inclusion in the collection spanning August 1, 2024- July 31, 2027. State Library Staff spent much of the FY2023 onboarding the new digital resources and providing additional training opportunities. Staff expanded their training opportunities on the Traveler resources and provided several instructional sessions on the Traveler program in-person, virtually, and through asynchronous communication.
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. State Library staff challenged themselves to find creative ways to promote the resources to new users. The State Library 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:
Fiscal Year 2023 was especially time intensive because the State Library completed their formal bidding process for the Traveler resources. This included reviewing proposals, meeting with the Advisory Committee, negotiating new contracts, implementing new resources, updating the website and current informational guides, creating marketing materials, and providing training opportunities. Managing the program should take less effort next year as State Library Staff will primarily be maintaining the collection, troubleshooting technical issues as needed, evaluating the resources’ effectiveness, and providing training and outreach 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 NarrativeTTraveler 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