The Technical Report Archive & Image Library (TRAIL) - Project Site


TRAIL is a Greater Western Library Alliance initiative lead by the University of Arizona in collaboration with the Center for Research Libraries and other interested supporting agencies to identify, digitize, archive, and provide persistent and unrestricted access to federal technical reports issued prior to 1975.

Technical reports are a means of communicating the progress of research in fields of technology and science; they are used to communicate information for technical development throughout industry and throughout research institutions contributing to the continued development and growth of science and technology. These reports are highly detailed and contain valuable information serving specialized audiences of researchers. While availability and access to more recent (1994-current) technical report literature has greatly improved with delivery via the Internet, legacy technical report documents remain elusive to researchers. Most large research libraries across the country have sizeable collections of federally funded technical research reports—frequently a million or more reports ranging from several pages to several hundred pages.

How to get involved:

If your library is interested in working with us on this project or you want additional information, please supply us with contact information (name and e-mail address) for the most appropriate person or persons at your institution to contact about this project in the future. We very much appreciate your feedback. Please email Alice Trussell at alitrus@ksu.edu.


Testimonials...

 “I can't begin to express the gratitude and research potential your site has provided to us. I am the president of the Old Forge Coal Mine Inc., an all volunteer non profit educational and historical archive for the coal mining history, heritage, and industries that supported coal mining for the town of Old Forge Pennsylvania. Thanks to TRAIL, I am able to find and download Bureau of Mine Bulletins pertaining to my area that the Bureau of Mines and Office of Surface Mining in Pa., don’t even have in their libraries at Pottsville and Wilkes Barre.Your site has my research efforts a lot easier, saving weeks of time and travel expenses. Thank You, Very Much!"

"Thank you so much for your help...The 25 year old copy of the monograph that I have was destroyed by water…..finding it online makes me very happy! Please pass on my great appreciation to all those who have put together this very valuable service."
                             
 






COME AND MEET US!

The  Grey  Mosaic: Piecing It All Together
December 14-15, 2009

Eleventh International Conference on Grey Literature
Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA

Maliaca Oxnam will be presenting at

SESSION THREE – GREY LITERATURE REPOSITORIES 

A Multi-Institutional Approach to Technical Report Literature: Development of the Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL)


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The TRAIL Pilot Project currently contains the following report series:

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission , Civil Effects Test Operations (AEC-CEX)
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission , Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research (AEC-LF)
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission , Health and Safety Laboratory (AEC-HASL)
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission , Radiation Instruments Branch (AEC-RIB)
U. S. National Bureau of Standards. Monographs
U. S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin

An example of a technical report produce by the Atomic Energy Commission now available online at  the TRAIL searchable website:


Forward:
The Atomic Energy Commission is aware of its responsibility for taking a leading part in the protection of the people against nuclear attack or accident. As a result of atomic shelter tests and field experiments conducted by the United States Government over the past nine years, it has been conclusively shown, and agreed to by experts in the field, that shelters provide the only promising means of civilian protection in event of a nuclear war.

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