Before online databases, digital libraries and instant access to information, transportation professionals relied on dedicated knowledge-sharing networks to find the research and resources needed to improve Canada’s roads. In the mid-1950s, the Canadian Good Roads Association (CGRA), now known as the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC), began gathering technical publications and research to support the work of its staff and local transportation professionals. In 1956, enough documents had been assembled to open a library to serve the needs of TAC’s members across Canada. Publications were borrowed by mail using a printed catalogue of available resources. This connected Canadian transportation professionals with research and information from across the country and around the world, long before today’s digital tools.
Over the following decades, TAC’s information services continued to evolve.
In the 1960s and 1970s, new approaches to organizing and sharing research were introduced, including a semi-automated information storage and retrieval system. Using coded cards and abstracts, members could request information on specific topics and receive references to national and international research.
The library grew to more than 3,000 items covering subjects ranging from pavement design and highway safety to traffic operations and bridge engineering.
As technology advanced, so did TAC’s approach to information sharing. Library catalogues moved online in the early 2000s, and TAC collaborated with partners to provide broader access to transportation research resources through digital platforms.
Today, TAC’s library continues that same mission in a modern environment. The Library catalogue contains 18,000+ records accessible through a cloud-based platform, making it easier than ever for transportation professionals to discover trusted resources.
From shelves filled with technical publications to searchable, digital collections, the library’s purpose has remained the same for more than 70 years:
to support Canada’s transportation community by collecting, organizing and sharing research and guidance.