Federal Highway Administration Research Library
Sources for FHWA Reports
The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) began an effort several years ago to transform its Technical Reference Center (TRC)from a repository of agency-published or agency-sponsored research reports into a fully functioning library with expanded services. Recently the TRC name was changed to the FHWA Research Library.
The R&T Product Distribution Center, which you may know simply as the Report Center, was previously housed at TFHRC. The library sometimes acted as an intermediary and fulfilled requests for copies of FHWA reports. However, we do not have a stock of extra FHWA reports to give away nor is it the function of the library.
The library generally holds all FHWA reports to circulate/loan to FHWA employees, only. We do not distribute copies for people to keep nor do we lend to the public.
In our effort to streamline our service and better serve our clientele, we are providing information about the appropriate and expedient contacts if you need a copy of an FHWA report.
For FHWA RD (former series designation) and HRT (current series designation):
FHWA R&T Product Distribution Center
Tel. 301-577-0818
Fax 301-577-1421
report@fhwa.dot.gov
For all other FHWA report series (IF, PD, PL, SA, FLP, JPO, etc.):
U.S. DOT Warehouse
Tel. 301-322-5377
Fax 301-386-5394
Thomas.Molock@ost.dot.gov
For those of you who may be unaware of other sources for Federal agency publications, including FHWA and U.S. DOT, particularly publications that are out-of-stock or out-of-print, here is a listing of other places to check.
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
In addition to federal agency publications, State Departments of Transportation and university transportation research centers are required to submit copies of State Planning & Research (SP&R)[1] funded research reports to NTIS[2].
You can search for products published since 1990 online: http://www.ntis.gov/search/advanced.asp
If you cannot find ordering information for the publication online and you need to contact NTIS directly, here is a link to ordering information: http://www.ntis.gov/help/ordermethods.asp?loc=7-4-0
Please note, NTIS copies will be reproductions of the original report and there is a charge.
U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) - http://bookstore.gpo.gov/
Libraries
Your local government, corporate, public or academic library will be able to help you borrow copies of FHWA reports. In addition to other transportation libraries that hold FHWA reports[3], there are both Federal and State programs in place to provide government information to citizens.
Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) - http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fdlp.html
"The mission of the FDLP is to disseminate information products (including certain U.S.DOT and FHWA publications) from all three branches of the Government to over 1,250 libraries nationwide. Libraries maintain these information products as part of their existing collections and are responsible for assuring that the public has free access to the material provided by the FDLP."
You can search for publications that have been distributed to depository libraries using the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications: http://catalog.gpo.gov/F
The catalog also provides direct links to publications that are available full-text online.
State Depositories
Many States have a program similar to the Federal Depository Program (State Depository Library Program) or the state library/archives will have a State publications or State documents collection. These collections most likely would include SP&R reports published by State DOTs.
State Libraries - Library of Congress listing: http://www.loc.gov/global/library/statelib.html#r23
Because of these depository programs, many libraries have FHWA reports in their collections, and if not, the reports can be borrowed from other libraries, including the FHWA Research Library, through interlibrary loan.
If you need help identifying a report or its publication status, verifying a FHWA report citation or if you want to know if we have a certain report to lend to another library, please do call us. We'll be glad to help in any way we can.
If you have questions regarding this document or need other assistance, contact us at fhwalibrary@fhwa.dot.gov
FHWA Research Library
05/31/06
[1] State Planning and Research http://www.tfhrc.gov/sprguide/index.htm
[2] See American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991; (ATPA) revised in 1994, Public Law 102-245, sec. 108.
[3] Directory of Transportation Libraries http://ntl.bts.gov/tldir/
FHWA Research Library
