Accidental Accidental Government Government Documents Documents Librarian:Librarian:The BasicsThe Basics

North Carolina Library AssociationGovernment Resources SectionSpring 2011

I need to know more about I need to know more about government information!government information!

• We are doing more with less (i.e. reassigning staff)

• We do not have a gov docs expert on staff, or always available

• More government information is available/visible than previously

What We’ll CoverWhat We’ll Cover• The reference process and how The reference process and how government information fits into itgovernment information fits into it

• Where government information comes Where government information comes fromfrom

• Freely-available tools to access Freely-available tools to access government informationgovernment information

• Learning more/Getting HelpLearning more/Getting Help

Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes

By the end of this presentation you should have a better grasp of:

•The structure of the Federal Government•The main types of publications produced•Some strategies for finding government information•How to learn more/get help

Reference is a Reference is a process…process…govt info is just another set of resourcesgovt info is just another set of resources

Reference interview

• Remain approachable• Clarify the question• Follow up

Strategies for locating information

• Learning about the resources available to you is an ongoing activity

• You will never remember them all

• Topical or known item?

““Topical” vs. “Known Item”Topical” vs. “Known Item”

““Topical” Topical” Queries that may benefit from using government information but you have no specific items in mind

Example:Example:

Elder abuse

““Known Item”Known Item”Query is for a known item of government info

Example: Example: Can I see the Senate hearings on the future of Guantanamo Bay?

Where does government Where does government information come from?information come from?

• The three branches of government, plus some additional independent agencies, commissions, and government corporations

• For many years, government info was largely organized and distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)

What to expect when working What to expect when working with government informationwith government information

• Broken links and re-directs are fairly common…

• Freely-available government web sites rarely provide a deep archive (at this time)

Organization of the Federal GovernmentOrganization of the Federal Government

Legislative Executive Judicial

Senate & House

President & VP Supreme Court

AGENCIES (Departments)Agriculture * Commerce * Defense * Education * Energy * Health * Homeland Security *

Housing * Interior * Justice * Labor * State * Transportation * Treasury * Veterans

INDEPENDENT AGENCIESCIA, EPA, Federal Election Commission, General Services,

Small Business Administration, Social Security, etc.

Constitution

““Don’t Miss” #1Don’t Miss” #1

The U.S. Government ManualThe U.S. Government Manualhttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=GOVMAN

•Official handbook of the Federal Govt.•Comprehensive information on the 3 branches, agencies, commissions, etc.•Includes contacts, statement of purpose, description of activities, brief history

• Created in 1861, the Government Printing Office (GPO) publishes information produced by (and for) the federal government

• GPO -- the largest publisher in the world

Government Printing Office (GPO)Government Printing Office (GPO)

Superintendent of DocumentsSuperintendent of Documents

The Head of GPO (also called the Public Printer) selects the Superintendent of Documents, Superintendent of Documents, whose job it is to disseminate the information GPO has produced.

Organized by SuDocs NumberOrganized by SuDocs NumberGovernment information, whether in print or electronically, is organized by the governmental body/agency that produces it.

In our Dewey classification or LC classifications you can browse for items by call number and expect to find similar items grouped together within those numbers.

Not so in the world of government information…

The Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) number is the The Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) number is the government information “call number.”government information “call number.”

Example of a SuDocs Number Example of a SuDocs Number and how it worksand how it works

• SuDoc numbers beginning with the letters A - T usually identify the executive dept. or agency that published the document.

• So, AA 93.11/2:2009 is a pub by the Dept. of Agriculture. Agriculture.

• SS 1.40/2:C 76/2/2010 is from the StateState Department

The exception to the rule…The exception to the rule…

The letters X and Y, however, identify documents pertaining to Congress, such as hearings and reports. An example is:

Y 4Y 4.J 89/2:S.HRG.110-900

Y4Y4 denotes a Congressional hearing, in this case one on the legal rights of Guantanamo detainees

Because it is available electronically, it Because it is available electronically, it also has a PURL:also has a PURL:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg53355/pdf/CHRG-110shrg53355.pdf

Congressional HearingsCongressional Hearings

Testimony before committees and subcommittees in the U.S.Congress Can cover:• Proposed legislation • Research for future legislation • Oversight of the Executive Branch • Nominations to high office • Appropriations

Congressional HearingsCongressional Hearings

Who testifies?

• Experts on a subject • Lobbyists • Members of the Executive Branch • Members of the public

(…including movie stars)• Other Members of Congress

Three Branches of U.S. Three Branches of U.S. GovernmentGovernment

• LegislativeLegislative (Congress) Laws are made…

• Judicial Judicial (Courts) Laws are broken…

• ExecutiveExecutive (The President, Agencies) Laws are implemented and enforced…

Legislative Branch -- CongressionalLegislative Branch -- Congressional

Senate http://www.senate.gov

Househttp://www.house.gov

““Don’t Miss” #2Don’t Miss” #2

Best (free) Search Site for Congressional Material:

ThomasThomas (Library of Congress)http://thomas.loc.gov

Text of bills, resolutions, bill summary and status, and roll call votes.

Numbering of Bills & LawsNumbering of Bills & Laws

Bills What happens when passed?

• Once passed, a bill is assigned a Public Law number, P.L.109-358

(109th Congress)• Then published in the

Statutes at Large in order of the date it was enacted into law: 120 Stat.2047

• Both numbers remain unique for that law

• Bill are numbered sequentially, as they are introduced: H.R.1, H.R.2, S.1, S.2, etc.

• The sequence begins again with the next Congress

• The bill number is unique only through the sessions of the Congress in which it was introduced

Numbering of Bills & Laws, Numbering of Bills & Laws, summarizedsummarized

• Bill numbers (H.R.1, H.R.2, S.1, S.2) are unique only to their Congress

• Each bill that becomes a law gets a Public Law number and a Statutes-at-Large number

• Both Public Law and Statutes-at-Large numbers are unique to that law, and remain so, in perpetuity

U.S. CodeU.S. Code

Is a “compilation and codification of the federal law of the United States”

“Title 18”

Example: 18 USC Sec. 2251 “Sexual exploitation of children”

““Don’t Miss” # 3Don’t Miss” # 3

Many sites have the U.S. Code. Here’s two:

•U.S. Code on FDsysU.S. Code on FDsyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionUScode.action?collectionCode=USCODE

•U.S. Code on Thomas:U.S. Code on Thomas:http://uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml

ACTS BY POPULAR NAMEACTS BY POPULAR NAME

Available from numerous sites. Here’s three of them:•Thomas•http://thomas.loc.gov/ (under “Bills & Resolutions)

•From the House of Representatives•http://uscode.house.gov/popularnames/popularnames.htm

•From Cornell Law School•http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/topn/

Congressional RecordCongressional Record

Official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. Published daily when Congress is in session.

FDsysFDsyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=CREC

ThomasThomashttp://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?&n=Record

Very useful reports created for Congress.Congress does not readily distribute. So…………… So……………

Congressional Research ServiceCongressional Research Service

• http://opencrs.com/http://opencrs.com/

• http://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/CRSR/http://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/CRSR/browse/browse/

Congressional Research ServiceCongressional Research Service

Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress CRS: R40168 Date: 2010-09-22Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.Description: This report provides an overview of current issues surrounding alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles

Judicial Judicial

• Our judicial system rests upon the notion of stare decisis -- “to stand by decisions”

• Judges are generally obliged to respect the precedents established by prior decisions

JudicialJudicial

Supreme Court Supreme Court – highest court in the Federal Judicial Systemhttp://www.supremecourt.gov/Default.aspx

•Biographies of current justices•Opinions for the last 5 years or so

Supreme Court CasesSupreme Court Cases

• Cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court are collected in the U.S. Reports:U.S. Reports:

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/opinions.aspx

A typical cite: Baze v. Rees, 553 U.S. 35 (2008)

Volume of the U.S. Reports Page on which case begins

““Don’t Miss” #4Don’t Miss” #4

For freely available legal materials, at this time, some private sources can be easier to use than government pages:

•http://www.law.cornell.edu/federal/

•http://www.nolo.com/

Executive BranchExecutive Branch

The President produces information in a variety of ways:•Executive Orders •(Weekly) Compilation of Presidential Documents•Public Papers of the Presidents

Executive OrdersExecutive Ordershttp://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition.html

(Weekly) Compilation of Presidential (Weekly) Compilation of Presidential Documents Documents http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?

collectionCode=CPD

Papers of the PresidentsPapers of the Presidents

FDsysFDsyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=PPP

American Presidency Project (UC Santa Barbara)American Presidency Project (UC Santa Barbara)http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/index.php

The Departments/AgenciesThe Departments/Agencies

• Agency web sites are helpful for contacts and current services of the agency

• But sometimes do not lead to the publications of the agency, beyond those of a consumer nature

Department of Education

Many agencies do provide excellent Many agencies do provide excellent standard titles electronicallystandard titles electronically……

““Don’t Miss” #5Don’t Miss” #5

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

• https://www.cfda.gov/

Occupational Outlook Handbook

http://www.bls.gov/oco/For hundreds of different types of jobs:•the training and education needed•earnings•expected job prospects•what workers do on the job•working conditions

““Don’t Miss” #6Don’t Miss” #6

CIA World Fact Bookhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

History, people, government, economy, geography, communications, time zones, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.

FBI Uniform Crime Reportshttp://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr

Annual crime stats, law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, hate crimes

““Don’t Miss” #7Don’t Miss” #7SEC EDGAR

http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml

Information about publicly-traded companies, foreign and domestic

Economic Report of the President

““Don’t Miss” #8Don’t Miss” #8

http://www.science.gov/browse/topiclist.htm

•Gateway to government science information •Accessing over 45 databases and 200 million pages of science information

The National Maphttp://nationalmap.gov/index.html

One of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Science.gov

StatisticsStatistics

• Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

• U.S. Bureau of the Census (American FactFinder)

• For NC folks, NC LINC is a ‘don’t miss.’ http://linc.state.nc.us/

FedStats FedStats http://www.fedstats.gov/http://www.fedstats.gov/

Don’t Miss #9Don’t Miss #9Statistical Abstract of the United States http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

The ‘Regulatory’ EnvironmentThe ‘Regulatory’ Environment

Regulations are not law, but they have the force of law.

Federal Register - official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices

The Federal Register grows up to be…..

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

The codification of the general and permanent rules from the FederalRegister

Don’t let the word Don’t let the word “Code” throw you“Code” throw you

• Yes, the U.S. Code is the law of the land, created by Congress

• The Code of Federal Regulations are the codified regulations of agencies (under the Executive Branch)

• In North Carolina agency regulations are codified into the N.C. Administrative Code

FDsysFDsyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

formerly GPO Accessformerly GPO Access

What was……. Is now………

Tools – What to Use and WhenTools – What to Use and When

• GPO Access, now FDsys

• USA.gov (formerly FirstGov.gov)

• Google U.S. Government Search

(formerly Google UncleSam)

• World Cat - OCLC Database

• FedStats

Tools – GPO Access, now FDsysTools – GPO Access, now FDsys

• Excellent for known items of relatively recent vintage (Congressional hearings go back only to 1985/86, for example, and most other series only to the early 1990’s)

• FDsys provides free online access to official Federal Government publications

Tools Tools USA.gov USA.gov or or

Google U.S. Government Search? Google U.S. Government Search? • Which to use? It’s a bit of a wash. But let’s

take a closer look.

• Originally Google’s government search didn’t pick up government-related sites with .mil, .com, etc. (there are some important ones that are not .gov) but this is no longer the case

Tools, cont.: USA.gov or Tools, cont.: USA.gov or Google U.S. Govt. SearchGoogle U.S. Govt. Search

• Both are helpful when you are doing a topical search

• Both have an advanced search page available

• Doing most topic searches produces similar results in each

Tools, cont.– topic is Tools, cont.– topic is elder abuseelder abuse

USA.govUSA.gov Google U.S. GovernmentGoogle U.S. Government

Tools, cont. – given a choice……..Tools, cont. – given a choice……..USA.gov (at this time) has a cleaner interface, especially for ‘consumer’ -- rather than academic – information searches.

Worldcat.orgWorldcat.orgHelps us get stuff we don’t have -- especially specific,

older items not available electronicallyExample:

Hearing before a subcommittee, Eighty-first Congress, second session, on H.R. 5210, a bill to amend the Act entitled "An act to establish a department of medicine and surgery in the Veterans" Administration," approved January 3, 1946, to provide for the use of qualified optometrists for out-patient eye care. July 19, 1950. United States. Congress. House. Committee on Veterans' Affairs.United States. Congress. House. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 1950 English Book iii, 1819-1835. p. 24 cm. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,

Libraries worldwide that own item: a library that has cataloged this hearing as a book

GovDoc: Y 4.V 64/3:OP 7 -- a large library with a deep archive of uncataloged printed hearings can still locate this in their collection using just the SuDocs number

Pulling It All TogetherPulling It All Together

• I want to see the hearings and reports associated with the Challenger accident

• Who is my Senator and how has he/she been voting on major issues facing our country?

• We hear a lot of about Roe v. Wade. I’d like to read the actual opinion of the Justices of the Supreme Court for this case.

• How many Hispanics live in the U.S. and how many live in my state?

• My neighbor’s husband passed away suddenly, leaving her with two young children. I’ve heard she can get help from Social Security. Is that true?

Federal Depository Library Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)Program (FDLP)

There are more than 1,200 depository libraries in the United States and its territories.

In NC many of our large university and public libraries are ‘selective’ depositories. UNC-Chapel Hill is our ‘regional’ depository library.

Here you’ll find people who can help.

Learning More/Getting HelpLearning More/Getting Help1. Examine the “Don’t Miss” examples 2. Examine quality library guides:

“Browse Topics” http://www.browsetopics.gov/

Federal websites organized by subject by Oklahoma State University.

“Government Information on the Web’ St. Mary's University’s Blume Libraryhttp://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/doc/us/subjects/submain.htm#libs

3. FDLP libraries can help

Contact info:

Bryna CooninJoyner LibraryEast Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC 27858Ph. (252) 328-0431E-mail: cooninb@ecu.edu

Tell Us What You ThinkTell Us What You Think

Please use the link below to let us know what you thought of today’s presentation. It will help us as we prepare future sessions.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NCLAGRSTHEBASICS

• Title: Genealogy Using Government Information• Date: May 11, 12:00-1:00• Presenter: Jane Johnson

– Jane Johnson is a Librarian in the special collections area for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room houses genealogical materials, state and local government documents, maps and images. She began her library employment in 1996 and received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina in 1998.

Upcoming Accidental Librarian Webinars

Upcoming Accidental Librarian Webinars

• May 11: Genealogy and Gov Info (Jane Johnson• June:

– The Economic Census (Mary Scanlon) – The New American FactFinder (TBD)

• July: – State Agency Databases (Daniel Cornwall)– Military and Dept of Defense Documents (David Durant)

• August: Legal research basics (Jennifer Behrens)

• Brought to you by the North Carolina Library Association’s Government Resources Section. Join us! http://www.nclaonline.org/government-resources