University of New Haven
300 Boston Post Road
West Haven
CT
06516
1-800 DIAL-UNH or 1-800-342-5864
♦ What are they
U.S. government documents are the publications of departments and agencies of the federal government. They consist of pamphlets, maps, posters, books, reports, census reports, congressional hearings, journals, videos, and kits in physical formats like paper and microfiche and electronic formats such as floppy disk, CD, DVD and ‘web only.’ Government documents can cover virtually any topic.
♦ Where are they
The Government Printing Office (GPO) distributes them to libraries which belong to the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The Marvin K. Peterson Library has been a depository since 1971 and currently receives about a third of what GPO distributes. Yale University, Southern Connecticut State University, and New Haven Free Public Library are among the other area depository libraries, and the Connecticut State Library in Hartford is the state's only regional depository, which means it receives and retains all documents distributed by GPO.
♦ Who can use them
Part of the mission of the FDLP is to make documents accessible to all. Documents physically housed in this library can be borrowed by our faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Members of the general public can use them here in the library. Documents that exist in electronic versions are freely available online via federal agency websites and the library catalog.
♦ Accessing documents in our catalog
Electronic access. In the library catalog, look for the URL box at the far right of lists of multiple search results and click on 'Linked Resources' for the item when you open it on the next page. For single items, click directly on the 'Linked Resources' tab. We usually have the online item in some physical format as well, but some documents may be available only online. Note that we have only been putting documents into our online catalog since 2000. Older holdings may also be available.
Physical access. If there is no electronic access, then the only availability is in physical format. Some items will be in the reference or circulating collections. Many others will have a location that says 'U.S. Govt. Docs' and must be requested at the Information Desk. These catalog items use special GPO-assigned SuDoc call numbers, which you will need to supply with your request.
♦ Accessing documents not in our catalog
Documents since 1976. Many current documents are available online via the GPO Access website. Click on the A-Z Resource List. To identify documents published from 1976 onward, click on the 'Find a Federal Depository Library' tab and search the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications from the link over on the left. Once you have chosen an item look for a URL link on the right or click on the 'Locate in a Library' link to see if we should have it.
Documents before 1976. Use the print Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. This was published from 1895 to 1995 and is still the most complete listing for older government documents. Search in author, title, subject, keyword, and number indexes to find the entry number, e.g., 75-1435, in the main part of each monthly issue of the catalog. The main entry provides you with the SuDoc number and bibliographic information. The Monthly Catalog is not available here. Come to the Information Desk for referral to an appropriate library.
Request an Interlibrary Loan (ILL). University faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students may request government documents through our regular ILL service. Fill out an ILL form at the Information Desk, or submit an online request via the link on the library's homepage.
Ask for assistance. Government documents, especially older ones, can be challenging to identify and locate. Come to the Information Desk for assistance with your search.
♦ Print Indexes
American Statistics Index. Abstracts of government documents containing statistical information. Library has 1974-1991. Ref. HA37 .U55 C6
CIS [Congressional Information Service] Annual. Abstracts of publications reflecting the activities of Congress. Library has 1970-1986. Non-circ. KF49 .C62
Government Reports: Announcements & Index [GRA&I]. Abstracts of reports from government-funded research. Library has 1972-1990. Non-circ. Z7916 .G78
Index to U.S. Government Periodicals. Periodical articles from government agencies. Library has 1970-1979, 1982-1987. Ref. Z1223 .Z9 I5
Public Affairs Information Service [P.A.I.S.] Bulletin. Indexes books, periodicals, and government documents. Library has 1915-1990. Ref. Z7163 .P9
While the Library of Congress classification system that we use elsewhere in the library groups books by subject, the GPO's Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) system groups material by the agency that produced it. Department of Education documents are thus shelved together, as are Department of Transportation publications, etc. Call number letters, 'E' for Education, etc. are assigned to major agencies and further refined for sub-agencies and publications. ‘SE 1.20:’ is the SuDoc stem for the Securities and Exchange Commission's Monthly Statistical Review. ‘SE’ is for the commission, the number following refers to the office that produces this report, the number following the decimal represents the publication, and the numbers following the colon specify volume '47' and issue '6', resulting in a complete SuDoc number of SE 1.20:47/6.
GPO Classification Manual: A Practical Guide to the Superintendent of Documents Classification System.
[SuDoc] GP 3.29:P 88/993. Also online via catalog.
Introduction to United States Public Documents. Joe Morehead.
Ref. Z1223 .Z7 M67 1983
Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources. Judith Schiek Robinson. Ref. Z1223 .Z7 R633 1993
Using Government Information Sources Electronic and Print. 3rd ed. Jean L. Sears and Marilyn K. Moody.
Ref. Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
♦ Directories
FedStats. Organizes links to federal statistics, by agency or by topic, as well as links to local and international sources.
GPOAccess. The Government Printing Office is the primary government publications agency providing information about, and access to, federal documents. The Federal Register, U.S. Code, Code of Federal Regulations, Congressional Record, Economic Indicators, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, and Statistical Abstract of the United States are just a few of the many publications online at this site.
USA.Gov. "The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal." Links for Federal Government with A-Z Agency Index, State Government, Local Government, and Tribal Government.
♦ Branches of Government
Executive. The White House
Legislative. U.S. House of Representatives; U.S. Senate
Judicial. U.S. Supreme Court
♦ Federal Agencies
Bureau of Labor Statistics provides industry outlooks, employment and wage information.
Census Bureau. Search for demographic data using American FactFinder, and for geographic and economic information covering the entire country. Especially useful is the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
Centers for Disease Control. Much useful information, including the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry which includes hazardous substances profiles; the Traveler’s Health page and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Commerce. Monitors the nation's business activity. STAT-USA and USA Trade Online are federal databases of domestic and international trade, economic investment, and business opportunities. Accessible in the library only at workstations 1 & 2.
Department of Education and the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) database.
Department of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Digital Library.
Department of Justice and its Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Library of Congress. Search the catalogs or link to the American Memory page.
National Institutes of Health. Includes the National Library of Medicine, with its link to PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, ToxNet and more.
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) and Science.gov are gateways to searching government scientific information.
Patent & Trademark Office
Securities and Exchange Commission. Includes a tutorial to the EDGAR database of company filings from 1994 to the present.
♦ State Documents
The State Library in Hartford is both the state's full federal documents depository and the chief depository for Connecticut state documents. The state website provides easy access to a wealth of government information, from state licensing requirements to statistics online. Links for Executive and state agencies, Legislative (the General Assembly), and the Judicial branches.
♦ Municipal Government
Link to municipal web sites from the ‘Government’ link on state’s home page. Town and city websites often contain copies of local laws called ordinances. There are online links to local codes of municipal ordinances via the state law library website from Municipal Code Corporation and General Code, services which update the codes for municipalities in various states.
♦ International Governance
The United Nations has an international depository document program similar to the United States GPO system. The only U.N. depository location in Connecticut is at Yale University. They also keep documents of The European Union and other international organizations and governing bodies.
The library's style guides are available in paper at the Information Desk and also on the library’s homepage via the Library Guides link. Most style manuals include a section on citing government documents, and the following site from the University of Memphis is also useful.
Any Questions? Ask at the Information Desk, call us at (203) 932-7189, or e-mail us.
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