Traveling with the Arkansas Traveler

Did you know that many of the online databases and ebook collections available at Arkansas Tech University are actually provide freely for the whole state of Arkansas?  This state collection is called the Arkansas Traveler Program, with an aim to provide educational resources to everyone, regardless of institutional affiliation.

When Google is not enough and valid sources are hosted behind paywalls, the Arkansas Traveler project can make it possible for school children, college students, faculty researchers, and ordinary Arkansans to access scholarly articles, educational videos, language instruction, and thousands of ebooks on a variety of subjects.

So what’s included?  Here’s a short list of our most popular resources provided by the Arkansas Traveler Program:

  • ProQuest Central – A multidisciplinary one-stop database covering scholarly journal articles, periodicals, videos, disssertations & theses, newspapers, and more.
  • ProQuest One Business – A large business database encompassing millions of full-text items including company reports, industry reports, scholarly articles, and more.
  • ProQuest One Literature – The largest database we have for literature. Includes literary criticism, biography, and full-text access to more than 500,000 works of poetry, drama, and prose.
  • Pronunciator – A language learning application that includes step-by-step lesson plans for 163 languages, ESL courses, and American Sign Language courses. It includes an app to keep track of your progress without an owl.
  • Research Companion – A series of videos, tools, and resources to help students do more effective research, evaluate sources, and synthesize that research into their own papers.
  • Ebook Central – A multidisciplinary collection of ebooks. While some are provided by ATU, many of the ebooks in this collection are provided from the Traveler program

Many other resources are funded by the Traveler program.  To see which ones, go to our A-Z databases page, and look for the blue icon: “ASL Traveler.”

A screenshot of a database link to the resource "ABI/INFORM Collection (now part of ProQuest One Business" and a blue button with the words "ASL Traveler" appearing next to the link.  There's a red arrow pointing to the blue button.

Funding for this program is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Arkansas State Library under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.  For more on the Arkansas Traveler program, visit their FAQ page or Ask Your Librarian.

Like Us? Love Us? Tell Us!

The annual library survey is now live and listening:

https://questionpro.com/t/ADooIZ3L5d

Tell us how the library’s collections, services, and spaces mattered to YOU in 2024.  If you’ve ever used our website or stepped foot in the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center, we want to hear what you think about your library.  The survey has been redesigned so you can finish faster and get back to studying for midterms.

Have you ever wanted something different in the library?  More study spaces?  More books?  Less noise? An entirely new floor with a cafeteria and espresso machine?

From now until March 21st, when the survey closes, is your chance to let us know how we can improve and what we’re doing right.

As a direct result of your feedback on past surveys, we’ve made a lot of changes already:

 

Photograph of diner booth seating at a library table, featuring two large, high-backed gray benches and a wooden, blond table.

  • You wanted more comfortable seating and more places in the library to study, so last summer, we renovated a part of the first floor, removed or relocated some outdated books, and added booth seating and study cubicles—creating more study spaces with more attractive, private, and comfortable seating.
  • Many of you said you wanted audiobooks on Libby, so we now have almost 600 of them through the Libby app. Now you can have more debates with your friends about whether listening to an audiobook counts as “reading.”
  • Snacks are now allowed! Just keep Dorito dust off the books.
  • We added a water bottle refill station on the first floor, near the restrooms.
  • Some of you said we want to stay more informed about the library, so we increased the quality and frequency of our social media presence.
  • We added a supply vending machine to get last minute scantrons, charging cables, and playing cards to get through the late-night study sessions.
  • Every year, we hear that you want more quality journal access, and every year, we try to deliver. This past year, we expanded JSTOR and added access to local and state newspapers with America’s News.
  • You told us some of the computers were getting slower, so we upgraded the Apple computers on the third floor and added docking stations to every floor so you can bring your laptop and plug and play (thanks to our good friends in the Office of Information Systems).
  • We can all agree the elevators were sometimes unreliable. Thankfully, they are now getting replaced.
  • Finally, many of you wanted a shorter survey to get through. Take it now and time us—we think it’s faster, but you tell us.

We hope you will continue to tell us what we do best and what we can do better on this year’s survey.  If you want a more direct approach, send us a text, email, or chat.  If you prefer the socials, we can be found on Facebook and Instagram.  No matter how you do it, let us know how we can make your library better.

100 Years Serving Citizens

Tucked away on the second floor of the library is a collection that began 100 years ago this month.  This collection is the United States Government Documents collection, provided freely to Arkansas Tech as part of national program called the Federal … [Continue reading]

African American Women in Art

Join us on Tuesday, Feb. 25th at 6:00 PM as we host Dr. Lynnette Gilbert, assistant professor of art, for an exploration of African American women in art in RPL 300A.  This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be … [Continue reading]

Attention Content Creators!

Are you looking to create higher quality videos, photographs, or sound?  Look no further than the Ross Pendergraft Library Media Production Labs. This unique service offers the spaces, the equipment, the software, and the expertise needed to … [Continue reading]

Inclement Weather Hours

The Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center will be closed from noon on January 9th until Monday morning, January 13th, at 7:00 AM.  Virtual research help services will still be available on our ASK US page during normal business hours, … [Continue reading]

Open 24+ Hours Thursday-Friday

Cramming for your finals?  Writing last minute papers?  Group projects finally due?  The Ross Pendergraft Library has your back this week by staying open late during finals.  In addition to our normal late hours, beginning Thursday, Dec. 5th, at 7:00 … [Continue reading]

Spooky Trivia on Tuesday, Oct. 29th

Think you are the nerdiest bat in the belfry?  The geekiest ghoul in school?  Gather your freaky friends and test your supernatural abilities against others at the Library’s Spooky Trivia Night on Tuesday, October 29th, at 7:00 PM at RPL … [Continue reading]

RPL Author Series Returns Thursday, Oct. 24th

The Ross Pendergraft Library at Arkansas Tech University is honored to have local author, Agalia Baker, as the featured speaker for the RPL Author Series on Thursday, October 24th at 6:00 p.m. in RPL 300B.  This event is free and open to the … [Continue reading]

Know the Issues—Ballot Issues.

Before you step into the voting booth on Nov. 5th, you may want to know more about some of the other questions on your ballot beyond the U.S. President.  Get informed on Tuesday, October 15th as we host Pamela Luker, Pope County Cooperative Extension … [Continue reading]