MTAS Research and Information Center

Do you have questions? We've got answers! Call or email now. 865-974-0411  |  mtaslibrary@tennessee.edu

Who we are and how we can help

The Research and Information Center (RIC) serves as a clearinghouse for information produced by and about cities. We are an information center which provides research, reference and survey services. Surveys for MTAS consultants and city officials are conducted to create and collect unique information on municipal government not available from other sources. RIC staff are responsible for the quarterly MTAS E-News and posting to MTAS's Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. 

Services of the RIC and MTAS library print materials are reserved for the use of city officials and staff and MTAS staff. However, even if you are not in our customer group, feel free to request an item (or contact us) and if we can help you in some way, we will. 

Need to Find Out How Other Cities Are Handling Similar Situations? Request a Survey.

The MTAS Research and Information will conduct surveys for municipalities to gather that hard to find information needed to answer questions as you serve your community. We typically need 2 weeks to start and complete a survey. Request a survey by emailing RIC staff here: mtaslibrary@tennessee.edu

RIC Connect: 2025 Webinar Series

We are excited to announce “RIC Connect” a new webinar series hosted by the MTAS Research and Information Center (RIC)! This series is designed to introduce our staff and customers to the wide range of services and resources available through RIC.  

Each session will be conducted via Zoom, lasting 45 minutes including a dedicated Q&A segment at the end. Best of all, there is no cost to attend.

Whether you’re looking to conduct surveys, access our specialized collections of municipal resources, or simply connect with MTAS and our team, these webinars will provide valuable insights and practical instruction.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with RIC staff and learn more about how we can support your needs. Sign up today and take advantage of this free educational resource! 

May 5, 2025  |  Survey Says ... RIC Survey Services and the MTAS Salary Survey

Join this webinar to gain a better understanding of the unique survey services provided by the MTAS Research and Information Center. In this webinar, we will also spend some time demonstrating the MTAS Salary Survey, a valuable resource for salary information for municipalities in Tennessee.  

• 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. eastern via Zoom
• Click this link to sign up here: https://tiny.utk.edu/May5RICwebinar
• A Zoom meeting link will be sent when sign-up is completed and submitted.

Hold these dates for our additional webinars in 2025. More Information on specific topics coming soon!

• August 11, 2025 | 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. eastern
• October 6, 2025  | 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. eastern

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X to get updates on the RIC Connect Webinar Series. 

What is MRLn?

MRLn is the MTAS Research Library Online. Click here to start a "Basic Search":  Search MRLn

MRLn will: help you FIND legal opinions, surveys, job descriptions, sample resolutions and ordinances, articles, books, forms and more; SAVE your searches and search results to be able to repeat the search and find all of the latest materials in your area of interest; and provide a way for you to REQUEST items that you've located to be sent to you. 

Need to set up a guest MRLn account to access special user features or just have questions? Email mtaslibrary@tennessee.edu.

MTAS staff login in to MRLn with their NetID and password to access the special user features.

MTAS Salary Survey FY2025 is Ready!

Have you needed salary information when looking at increases or when creating a new position? The MTAS Salary Survey can help. The Salary Survey Reporting Dashboard is available to any municipality that participates in the survey.

Are you a returning participant? 
If you participated in the FY2024 Salary Survey, just login and start a new survey for FY2025. (Use the same login information you created for the FY2024 survey.)  You will be able to import your data from last year. If any of the salary information has changed since FY2024, you can update it after you import it.

Are you a new participant? 
If you were not able to participate for the recent survey, that’s not a problem. Simply register as a new user for the survey and we will help you take it from there. We have also attached instructions to help you get registered and start a survey. Register a new account here:

https://survey.mtas.tennessee.edu

Our MTAS HR Consultants are also available to help:

• East Tennessee: Betsy Cunningham |  betsy.cunningham@tennessee.edu
• Middle Tennessee: John Grubbs |  john.grubbs@tennessee.edu
• West Tennessee: Peter Voss |  peter.voss@tennessee.edu

You may also email salaryinfo@tennessee.edu with any questions you might have.

We look forward to working with you soon!

MTAS Digital Archives at the UT Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange (TRACE)

MTAS maintains archival versions of its publications in the TRACE. Paper copies of the archival publications are maintained in the Knoxville Library Collection of MTAS.

Visit Trace here: https://trace.tennessee.edu/