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Technical Document and Research Center (TDRC)

The Technical Document and Research Center supports the mission of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks through the provision of research and current awareness services.

Decorative: A wooden bookshelf full of different books and documents

About the TDRC

The Technical Document and Research Center, or TDRC, collection consists of more than 5,000 technical reports produced by King County agencies, particularly the Department of Natural Resources and Parks and the Department of Transportation. The book collection includes materials on a variety of natural resources and transportation topics, as well as general interest materials. The Research Center exists primarily to support the work of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks but is open to members of the public.

Search the Online Catalog for documents available from the Technical Document and Research Center.

Services we provide

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Technical Document and Research Center supports the mission of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks through the provision of research and current awareness services. To that end, we:

  • utilize technology to enhance the efficient provision of information.
  • provide prompt, personalized research and article delivery services.
  • track the type and frequency of research requests to evaluate and improve research services.
  • acquire, facilitate access to, and preserve knowledge resources on the subjects of solid waste, wastewater treatment, and water and land resources.
  • provide updates on current publications that may be useful to Department of Natural Resources and Parks staff members.

The Technical Document and Research Center consists of two collections. The Technical Document collection contains more than 4,000 technical reports produced by King County agencies. The book collection includes materials on a variety of natural resources topics, as well as general interest materials. We are also developing procedures for receiving technical reports electronically in order to improve accessibility and availability of materials.

For the public

  • Assistance will be provided in locating materials in the collection.
  • All materials are Library Use Only.

For Department of Natural Resources and Parks staff

  • Transformation of research center services into a more technology driven service allowing staff greater opportunity to obtain materials electronically and at their own convenience.
  • All research, article delivery, and current awareness services.
  • Technical Documents may be checked out for two weeks.
  • Items from the book collection may be checked out indefinitely, until requested by someone else.

For King County staff

  • Assistance will be provided in locating materials in the collection.
  • Technical Documents are Library Use Only.
  • Items from the book collection may be checked out for two weeks.

Periodicals

The Research Center currently subscribes to approximately 60 magazines, journals and newsletters, most relating to environmental issues. In addition, the Research Center subscribes to electronic delivery of tables of contents for 42 journals in the natural resources field. Each time an issue of the journal is published the library receives an electronic copy of the table of contents. Research Center staff distribute the tables to interested Department of Natural Resources and Parks staff members, who may then request copies of desired articles.

Preserving TDRC resources

Materials in the Research Center get a lot of use, and it can catch up with the materials over time. Many day-to-day activities can have a harmful impact on library materials, even if they're okay to use on your personal documents. Many of our documents are irreplaceable, and we want to make sure that they are available for generations to come. Here is some information about what you can do to help preserve Research Center materials.

Preserving technical documents

  • Use bookmarks instead of sticky notes, paperclips, marking pens, or rubber bands. Paper clips rust over time and permanently mark pages. Pens (particularly markers) can bleed and obscure information in the document. Rubber bands will damage brittle or fragile paper and cause it to break. Do not fold page corners. Page corner folding will also cause pages to break over time. Sticky notes leave adhesive residues that darken, harden and become brittle over time.
  • Remove bookmarks after use.
  • Keep pages in order when rebinding.
  • Hands should be clean and dry before handling paper items, since oils from fingers can cause staining on the paper.
  • Avoid using food and drink when handling items. Even small particles of food can stain documents over time. Food residue left on documents that are placed back into the collection can attract pests which may contaminate the entire environment.
  • Use a pencil whenever possible when working with documents. Accidental marking with inks is permanent and will damage the document's usefulness for future users.

Preserving microfiche

  • Always handle microfiche from the edges. Oils from fingerprints can be damaging.
  • Return microfiche to their protective enclosures as soon as possible after use.
  • Minimize the amount of time that microfiche is left in the microfiche reader/printer. Fiche can be damaged by the heat from the light bulb.

Preserving audiovisual materials

  • Use care when handling CDs and videotapes. Oils and dirt from hands can damage the surface of the CD ROMs causing them to become unusable.
  • Keep CDs in a protective case when not in use. UV light can damage the metallic undercoating of the CD and cause it to lose reflectivity and become unreadable.
  • Store CDs and videos at a constant, moderate temperature. Temperature fluctuations can cause warping, cracking or distortions in CD and video mediums. Avoid leaving CDs or videos in an environment where they will be exposed to heat, including cars.
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