Government Information for All

Tri-State Region

MaineNew Hampshire

Vermont

Objectives of presentation

o Types of government information that is available for all citizenso How to access government produced information both electronic

and in tangible formatso Where to turn for further assistance

James Madison

A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both.  Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

August 4, 1822

Tenants of Government Information Access• The public has the right of access to government

information;• Government has the obligation to disseminate and provide

broad public access to its information;• Government has an obligation to guarantee the authenticity

and integrity of its information;• Government has an obligation to preserve its information;

and• Government information created and compiled by

government employees or at government expense should remain in the public domain.

Government Printing Office History

• GPO officially established in 1813 with contract printers• Began in house printing during the 1860’s • Public Printer Bill Boarman on GPO• Government one of largest publishers • 1,250 depository libraries• Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was

established, 1895, by Congress to ensure that the American public had access to its Government's information

• Free access to any citizen at any depository library

FDLP Logo

Displayed at all library entrances participating in program

http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/FDLPdir.jsp

Resources

Every library has:• Budget of the United States• Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance• Census Bureau Catalog• Census of Housing• Census of Population• Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR)• Congressional Directory• County-City Data Book

• Crime in the United States• Economic Report of the

President• Federal Register• Franchise Opportunities

Handbook• Historical Statistics of the U.S.• Monthly Catalog of Gov

Publications• Occupational Outlook

Handbook

•  

Resources continued• Publications Reference File• Slip Laws• Statistical Abstract• Statutes at Large• Subject Bibliographies• Supreme Court Reports• United States Code• United States Government Manual• United States Industrial Outlook• Weekly Compilation of Presidential

Documents

History of Univ of Maine and Tri-State

• Regional/Selective libraries • Twenty-six libraries in ME, NH, VT that participate in FDLP• UMaine is not oldest in the state: Colby, Bates, Bowdoin,

Portland Public Library, Bangor Public Library 1884• UMaine beginnings 1890• 1907 Land Grant• 1962 regional• 1966 Tri-State regional

Presque Isle

Maine Maritime

Uniiv MaineBangor

Colby

Bates State Law

Bowdoin

U Maine Law, Portland PublicDartmouth

UNH, SNHU, St. Anselm, Manchester City, Nashua Public,NH State Library,NH State Law,UNH Law School

Univ Vermont

Middlebury

VT Law School

Johnson

VT State Lib

Norwich

Castleton

In Maine Libraries• URSUS records for all new items http://ursus.maine.edu/• URSUS/MaineCat links to online resources through 856 field• 2.2 million items in UMaine collection• UMaine retain everything call for pre-1976 items spotty in URSUS• Others 5 years and limited selection• Listings for UMaine,UMLaw, Bangor Public Library, Maine Law Legislative

Reference Library, UMaine Presque Isle in URSUS

• MaineInfoNet: Portland Public Library, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Maine Maritime Academy

• Limit in URSUS to gov docs, gov docs serial, gov docs maps, gov doc computer

• Can request items through URSUS/Minerva/MaineInfoNet• Can request items through traditional ILL, OCLC, Docline

SuDoc Numbers Overview

Doesn’t work the same as LC or Dewey

NA 1250.A85

989.134 .R23

GP 1.2: IN 3/2 Keeping America Informed

Arranged by Dept/sub dept/bureau and type information

SuDoc Class Stems aka DeptsSuDoc Class Deptarment

A Agriculture

AE National Archives &Records Admin

B Broadcasting Board of Governors

C Commerce

CC Federal Communications Commission

D Defense

E Energy

ED Education

GP 1.2: IN 3/2 Keeping America Informed

Currently 59 Class Stems Numbers after the initial

Department designation refer to the sub departments, cabinets, offices, etc.  These are arranged 1-x alphabetically by the name of the office at the time of creation

SuDoc Subordinate Structure

Numbers after decimal indicate the following:

.1 Annual Reports

.2 General Publications.3 Bulletins.4 Circulars

.5 Laws

.6 Regulations, rules, and instructions.7 Press releases.8 Handbooks, manuals, and guides.9 Bibliographies and lists of publications.10 Directories.11 Maps and charts.12 Posters.13 Forms.14 Addresses

Government Web Sites       

USA.Gov http://www.usa.gov/FDSyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/Census  - American Fact Finder http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=enBrowse Topics: Your Pathway to Governmenthttp://www.browsetopics.gov/ Digitization Projects Registryhttp://registry.fdlp.gov/Ben's Guidehttp://bensguide.gpo.gov/

Our web pagesWeb pagehttp://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/default.htmOther documents linkshttp://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/onlinegov.htmCanadianhttp://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/canadiandocs.htmUnited Nationshttp://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/unitednations.htmAgricultural Experiment Stationhttp://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/AgExpStation.htmOther deptsPatents (Science & Engineering)Maine docs (Special Collections)

Service Hours at Orono

Hours during academic semester

Mon - Thur 8am - 9pmFri 8am - 5pm

Sat 10am - 5pmSun 12:30pm - 9pm

Future

• Continue with born-digital of government information FDSys

• Increase amount of historical material digitized through partnerships such as the Registry

• Discussion of reorganizing the regional/selective program in the age of digital

• Funding for the GPO• Nationally some libraries are leaving--two regionals, but in

region all current libraries plan to stay in program.  Many are moving to electronic selection.

• Maine State Plan for Government Information

Does anyone want to join?

More Info

• Fogler Government Info pageshttp://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/default.htm

• Tri-State Web Site https://sites.google.com/a/maine.edu/tri-state-libraries/home

• FDLP Desktophttp://www.fdlp.gov

• Slideshare of this presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/gmalbc

Questions?

gregory.t.curtis@maine.eduOffice:  (207) 581-1681

Dept: (207) 581-1680Twitter: @gmalbc

Tumblr: gmalbc.tumblr.com