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Finding Information: Step Three D

Finding Specific Kinds of Sources: Find Government Sources

What are Government Documents?

Governments all over the world are in the unique position of being able to gather and publish information. The information gathered is put to many uses. In addition to the obvious uses such as laws, regulations, and court decisions, governments also generate extensive statistics, fund research, chart maps, and publish periodicals which are both educational and entertaining.

The United States government is the largest publisher in the world. One of the purposes of this publishing effort is to make information required to run the government and/or generated by the government widely available to the general public: i.e. maintain an informed electorate.

To facilitate access to US Government information, the Federal Depository Library Program was created. This is a system of libraries throughout the U.S. which receive copies of government publications not considered to be for official use only, administrative or operational in nature and have not been classified for purposes of national security. The Regional libraries in this program are required to keep copies of this material forever or until directed by the Superintendent of Documents to arrange for disposal.

Materials available through the Federal Depository System are available in a variety of formats, print, CD-ROM, film, and on the web. They include:

  • Laws and regulations including any pre-enactment fact finding hearings or committee deliberations (PL 105-124, 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act; PL 105-58, Oklahoma City National Memorial Act of 1997)
  • US Federal Court decisions including the Supreme Court (Roe v. Wade, Bush v. Gore)
  • Data and statistics such as the Census, meteorological data, economic and business indicators like the Consumer Price Index, gross domestic production data, import/export and production statistics,
  • Books, technical reports, and manuals (NASA reports)
  • Journals and magazines like Smithsonian published by governmental agencies – over 600 of these are fully electronic, such as Agricultural Outlook, Survey of Current Business
  • Pamphlets and “How To” guides for everything from everyday activities to complex business or teaching plans and guides
  • Maps such as road, topographical, aerial, historical, and stellar (The Astronomical Almanac)

The OSU Library is both a Federal and State Depository Library. In addition, it receives many publications from governments all over the world, and selectively acquires materials from other U.S. states and international organizations.

Department Services

The OSU Library Documents Department is located on the 5th floor of the OSU Library and makes available U.S. Government publications that can be checked out or photocopied.

The Department maintains a Web site which can be used to locate federal information by government agency, keyword, subject, etc.: http://www.library.okstate.edu/govdocs/

Finding Government Documents in the OSU Library:

To locate recently published federal, state or international documents in the OSU Library’s Online Catalog, access the Library's Web site online at http://osucatalog.library.okstate.edu/. See the OSU Library Catalog QuickGuide for information on how to search the Catalog. To locate older materials, ask for help or use the card catalog on the 5th floor, which lists publications by agency and title.

Locating Federal Information on the Internet

The Federal government is placing more and more information on the Internet. To locate Federal information on the Internet, go to the OSU Library Documents Department web site. There you will find access to the following information and much much more.

Click here to go on to the next step in the research process.

Accessibility Legend
Available to all free of charge
 Resource available via the Internet to everyone free of charge.
Internet resource licensed by OSU
 Resource available via the Internet to the Oklahoma State University community (faculty, staff, and students), Stillwater campus. These resources may be available to other users depending upon permissions from their home institution.
CD-ROM available in OSU libraries
 Resource available via CD-ROM at public workstations in the Oklahoma State University Library. These resources may be available to other users depending upon resources at their home institution.
Print resources available at OSU
 Resource available in print at the Oklahoma State University Library. All call numbers refer to this library. These resources may be available to users at other locations.

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Last Update: 31 January 2001
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