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| Class | Reference Sources and Services LIS 518 |
| Instructor | Lorna Peterson |
| Librarian | Edward Herman, Government Documents Librarian Lockwood Library (lolherma@buffalo.edu) 645-2814 x 431 |
| Date/Time/Place | Fall 2009 Online |
Purpose of this guide: Introduce students to government information. Students should be able to answer exercises 1-3 after completing this guide:
Exercise 1-Locate government information by subject using search engines
Exercise 2-Locate government information by agencies
Exercise 3-Purchase federal government information
Table of Contents
1. What kinds of information do governments publish?
2. What are depository libraries?
3. How do people locate government information?
5. Is document librarianship something I am interested in?
The handout emphasizes government information on the Internet because most librarians will not work in depository libraries. My intention is not to minimize the continued importance of documents in other formats. (i.e., paper, microfiche) All mediums ought to be considered when gathering information. However, the reality is that Web access is likely to be the most common method most librarians use to access government information in their libraries.
1. What kinds of information do governments publish?
Governments publish information in all formats including paper, CD-ROM, DVD, online, and multimedia. The wide array of data covers all topics from A-Z. Selected examples include:
Children's Resources
- Uncle Sam for Kids
http://www.win.org/library/matls/govdocs/kids.html - Ben's Guide to U.S. Government Documents for Kids
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ - Kids.gov
http://www.kids.gov/
- Free Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
http://www.free.ed.gov/
Popular Resources for Adults
- Consumer Information Center
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/
- IRS forms and publications
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/formspubs/index.html
Resources for Business People
- Business.gov
http://www.business.gov/
Ready Reference
- Reference Center and General Government
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf.shtml - Statistical Abstract of the United States (US Bureau of the Census)
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ - US Government Ready Reference Sources (Columbia University)
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/usgd/rref/
2. What are depository libraries?
Depository libraries acquire government information from governments without charge. By doing so, depositories agree to make this information available to the entire community for free. Lockwood Library is a depository for US, New York State, European Union, and Canadian federal documents.
The United States Code (USC), Title 44 governs federal depository libraries. Nonlawyer's Journey through Title 44: Collected Postings at http://freegovinfo.info/title44 offers good explanations for lay people.
Locating depository libraries
Locate A Federal Depository Libraryhttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html
Retrieve lists of federal government depository libraries that provide names of libraries, addresses, phone and fax numbers, and links to home pages.
3. How do people locate government publications?
Locating government information in the University Libraries
Lockwood Library's Government Information home page is a good starting point for UB users.(http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/busdoc/index.html)
Publications catalogs
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) (U.S. Government Printing Office(GPO))
http://catalog.gpo.gov
Indexes U.S. government publications in all formats published primarily since 1976. GPO intends to add earlier publications in the future. Click on titles to view full records that have links to libraries holding the materials.
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (U.S. Government Printing Office(GPO))
Lockwood Documents US GP 3.8: (1956-2003)
Lockwood Reference Z1223 .A18 (1929-1991 with gaps)
Capen Libraries US GP3.8: (1964-1991 with gaps)
The Monthly Catalog is an index to government documents published by GPO between 1895 and 2004 . The CPG replaced the Monthly Catalog.
Federal government information portals
Cross Agency Portals (U.S. General Services Administration)
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Cross_Agency_Portals.shtml
Lists federal government Web sites on almost 100 popular subjects.
DATA.gov (U.S. Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council)
http://www.data.gov/
Provides access to popular statistical datasets produced by the Executive branch. Three sections include the Raw Data Catalog that downloads tables instantly, the Tool Catalog that links to data extraction software, and the Geodata Catalog that links to map and GIS data.
FedStats (Consortium of federal agencies that offer statistical resources through one portal)
http://www.fedstats.gov
The federal government is the largest publisher of statistics in the world. Use FedStats to retrieve data by topics, states, and agencies. Special features include a directory to special access tools, reference resources, and links to children's materials. FedStats includes a search engine, but it is a very poor one. See Locating federal government information by subjects below for a better choice of search engines.
Federal Digital System (FDsys) (U.S. Government Printing Office)
http://fdsys.gpo.gov/
FDsys is the newest Government Printing Office portal that will eventually replace GPO Access. FDsys currently includes the most current federal budget, selected Congressional publications, Economic Indicators, the Federal Register and public and private laws.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (U.S. General Services Administration)
Data cover multiple agencies and topics across the federal government.
- FAQs by Agency and Program
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Faq_by_Agency.shtml - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of the US Government
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Faq.shtml
GPO Access--Superintendent of Documents Home Page
http://www.gpoaccess.gov
The Superintendent of Documents administers the GPO depository library system. Key parts of GPO Access are:
- Browse Topics
http://www.library.okstate.edu/govdocs/browsetopics/
Links to federal government resources on nearly 200 popular topics. - FDLP Desktop
http://www.fdlp.gov/
Provides information about administering depository collections
- Locate a Federal Depository Library
- Search the Federal Government Through USA.gov
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/advancedsearch.html
Use USA.gov to search either GPO Access or the entire federal government. - U.S. Government Online Bookstore
GPO is in the process of replacing GPO Access with the more user friendly Federal Digital System (FDsys).
US Business Advisor (U.S. Small Business Administration, plus 22 cooperating agencies)
http://www.business.gov/
Select information from menus or search by keywords.
USA.gov (U.S. General Services Administration)
http://www.usa.gov/
A one-stop shopping guide to federal government information. Different sections cover popular topics; featured subjects; directories to the three branches of government; doing business with the government; and a search engine. The search engine uses Vivisimo technology that divides search results into subtopics, making it easier to identify relevant information. Use the advanced search option to limit information by states.
Locating federal government information by subjects
Clusty (Vivisimo)
http://www.clusty.com
Rather than presenting a long list of Web sites, the Clusty search engine organizes results into subheadings (or clusters), making it easier to pinpoint specific information. Use the site: command to limit results to particular agencies. For example, the search "iraq site:cia.gov" retrieves information about Iraq published by the Central Intelligence Agency. Cia.gov is part of that agency's URL. Note, however, Clusty is not as comprehensive as Google.
Contact Your Government by Topic (U.S. General Services Administration)
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/By_topic.shtml
Provides data on popular subjects including benefits; children and education; consumer products and safety; law enforcement and crime; health; military and veterans; money and business; and travel and transportation.
U.S. Government Search
http://www.google.com/unclesam
U.S. Government Search retrieves information prepared by the federal and state governments. The "filetype:," "intitle:," and "inurl:" options are very powerful search aids.
- The search "intitle:welfare reform filetype:pdf" retrieves PDF files about welfare reform included in their titles.
- The inurl: function limits results to phrases in URLs. This becomes especially important when using agency abbreviations. The search "consumer price index inurl:bls" retrieves data about the consumer price index in sites sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Use the inurl command to locate publications of state governments. Many states follow a pattern in their URLs of the postal abbreviation followed by ".us." For example, the search "health insurance inurl:nj.us" retrieves information about that topic published by New Jersey. More recently, states have begun adopting the gov domain. The search "health insurance inurl:nj.gov" will also work, but with fewer results.
Be certain you are aware of Google's limitations when searching for government information. See a video and Web simulation at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/busdoc/instruction/videos/GoogleLimits/.
Exercise 1: Locate government information by subject using search engines
Locate information about the automobile lemon law published by New York State using USA.gov, U.S. Government Search, and Clusty. How do the results differ?
Locating federal government information by agencies
View the video at http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/busdoc/instruction/videos/Government_Authors_Types/ for background information.
Federal Agencies with Statistical Programs (FedStats-a consortium of federal agencies that offer statistical resources through one portal)
http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies/
Links to home pages of agencies that publish significant amounts of statistics.
LSU Libraries Federal Agencies Directory (Louisiana State University in partnership with the Government Printing Office)
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/index.html
Browse lists of executive, legislative, judicial, independent, and quasi official agencies, or search for information using agency keywords or abbreviations. Hint: use parenthesis when searching for abbreviations. The search for "cia" will retrieve the Social Security Administration, but the search for "(cia)" limits results to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Consult a Web simulation about this resource at http://library.buffalo.edu/asl/guides/busdoc/instruction/videos/Government_Authors_Sites/.
Web administrators do not always include agency abbreviations. Other sources are:
- Abbreviations and Acronyms of the U.S. Government (Indiana University)
http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/subjectareas/gov/docs_abbrev - Find out what any acronym, abbreviation, or initialism stands for (Acronym Finder)
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
Phone numbers and/or email addresses of federal agencies
- Contact Your Government by Agency (U.S. General Services Administration)
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/By_agency.shtml - US Government Telephone and E-mail Directories (U.S. General Services Administration)
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Directories.shtml
Exercise 2: Locate government information by agencies.
You are an elementary school librarian. A teacher asks you to locate a free online, interactive game about space flight that features the action figure, Buzz Lightyear. What agency is most likely to publish this game?
Buzz recently returned to earth after spending 15 months aboard the International Space Station. When did he return?
What source(s) did you use and which ones did you find most useful? Least useful? Explain why.
4. Purchasing US government documents
US Government Online Bookstore (U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO))
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/
GPO maintains a large sales operation. Be certain to note titles and stock numbers (S/Ns) when purchasing items from GPO. Stock numbers are warehouse identification codes.
Commercial Sources
- Bernan Press
http://www.bernan.com/
Bernan sells U.S. and selected foreign national documents; and publications of selected international governmental organizations, such as the United Nations and UNESCO.
Exercise 3: Purchase federal government information
Your library Director wants you to purchase a government document that projects education statistics through 2017. She thinks it may be called Education in 2018: A Statistical Projection but is uncertain.
What source would you use to locate this information?
What is the correct title?
How much does it cost?
What is its stock number? Why is this number important?
Is this title available free online? If yes, can you access the tables with Excel?
Are previous editions available online?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of depending upon the online edition?
5. Does document librarianship interest you?
The ability to accept change is the most important characteristic librarians need today, particularly documents librarians.
Other characteristics include:
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Administrative Notes, a newsletter published by the Superintendent of Documents, included a list of competencies expected of document librarians. (June 15, 2004. Vol 25, no. 7) Many of the same also apply to other aspects of librarianship.
- Knowledge of how to manage the legacy collection.
- Knowledge of how to perform community demographic analysis and the development of user needs surveys.
- Knowledge of tools and procedures for evaluating depository library services.
- Knowledge of GPO??s true polices that might hopefully debunk many of the myths.
- Knowledge of document processing requirements.
- Knowledge of the technical competencies required of a government information specialist.
- Knowledge of copy cataloging for both online and print government documents.
- Knowledge of tangible and Web-based government information resources required to facilitate discovery and access.
Issues affecting document librarianship
- Preservation: As with any information on the Web, it's there today and gone tomorrow. Since much of the data no longer appears in paper or microfiche formats, this has the potential of creating serious gaps in the nation's documents.
- Future role of depository libraries. Will depositories still have a role in the library world when non-depository libraries can access the identical government information on the Web?
Additional Information: Handbooks Guides and Manuals to Government Information
***First Place to Look -- Top 10 List for New Documents Librarians (U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO))
http://www.fdlp.gov/home/repository/doc_download/430-top-10-list-for-new-documents-librarians
10 Points summarized:
- Read the basic publications of the Federal Depository Library Program (http://www.fdlp.gov/) and basic texts.
- Find out your depository library number and internal and external passwords.
- Find Item Lister of item selections at (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/itemlist.html).
- Locate Inspection Reports, self-study submission and LPS Self-Study Evaluation report (if applicable), and Biennial Surveys.
- Contact your regional librarian for disposal instructions and advice.
- Subscribe to GPO-FDLP-L (gpo-fdlp-l@listserv.access.gpo.gov); (http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/) and other electronic discussion lists, such as:
GOVDOC-L (http://govdoc-l.org/). - Find out about your library's mission, vision, goals, strategic planning documents so that you know how the depository operation fits into your setting. Who has purchasing power? Who are the techies?
- Look for training opportunities on the local and national levels.
- Find out if the library's depository operation has a Web presence.
- Review helpful Web sites.
Additional resources include:
Citizen Journalist??s Guide To Open Government (Institute for Interactive Journalism)
http://www.kcnn.org/open_government
Deals with the evaluation of Web sites, and access to government meetings and records.
Free Government Information (FGI)
http://freegovinfo.info/
A blog that addresses concerns about issues affecting government information.
Government Information Online (A collaborative effort among the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, Government Printing Office, University of Illinois at Chicago)
http://govtinfo.org/
An online chat room staffed by government information librarians answers your questions Monday through Thursday, 8am to 6pm and Friday 8am to 5pm (Central time).
Herman, Edward. Locating US Government Information . 2nd ed. William Hein and Company, 1997.
Lockwood Reference ZA 5055 U6 H47 1997
An introductory guide to US government information that includes numerous illustrations from basic sources, plus questions and answers.
Moody, Marilyn and Jean L. Sears. Using Government Information Sources: Print and Electronic . 3rd ed. Oryx Press, 2001.
Lockwood Reference Desk Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
Capen Reference Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
Arch/Plan Reference Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
Law Reference J83 .S43 2001
A guide to basic government information sources used for answering reference questions. Separate chapters cover search strategies and basic searching; specific topics such as, foreign countries, climate, elections, maps, education, and legislative histories; agency searches; and various types of statistical searches.
Morehead, Joe. Introduction To United States Government Information Sources . 6th ed. Libraries Unlimited, 1999.
Lockwood Reference ZA 5055 .U6 M67 1999
Law Reference Desk Z 1223 .Z7 M67 1999
A very detailed handbook on the subject. People familiar with government information who need to check a title or any other type of fact will have an easier time using Morehead's book than the novice.
Robinson, Judith. Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly Guide to US Government Information Sources . Oryx Press, 1998.
Lockwood ZA 5055 U6 R63 1998
Law Reference J 83 R63 1998.
Government document classes in many library schools use Robinson's book as the text. The lucid writing style appeals to novices.
Last Modified: 9 October, 2009
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/busdoc/instruction/lis518sum06.html
