Government Documents in Your Library

1. VLA Paraprofessional Forum May 24, 2004 Government Documents in Your Library Lily McGovern Mcgovernl@ndu.edu

2. Government Document or Publication Any document issued by, under the authority of, or at the expense of a recognized government. Government documents include publications from states, the federal government, and transnational or international organizations such as the United Nations

3. Are you or your customers interested in …? Laws and rules the govern us Current events Taxes Financial aid Space Energy Agriculture Statistics The environment Scandals History Drugs Food Stamps Social security Parks Veterans benefits

4. United States Government Manual Http://www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/ As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the United States participates, and boards, commissions, and committees. The Manual begins with reprints of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The new edition of the Manual is available annually in late summer.

5. Example from the United States Government Manual LEGISLATIVE BRANCH CONGRESS One Hundred and Eighth Congress, First Session The Senate The Capitol, Washington, DC 20510 Phone, 202–224–3121. Internet, www.senate.gov. President of the Senate (Vice President of the United States) DICK CHENEY President pro tempore TED STEVENS Majority Leader BILL FRIST Minority Leader THOMAS DASCHLE Secretary of the Senate EMILY REYNOLDS Sergeant at Arms BILL PICKLE Secretary for the Majority DAVID J. SCHIAPPA Secretary for the Minority MARTIN PAONE Chaplain (VACANCY)

6. Example continued The House of Representatives The Capitol, Washington, DC 20515 Phone, 202–225–3121. Internet, www.house.gov. The Speaker J. DENNIS HASTERT Clerk JEFF TRANDAHL Sergeant at Arms WILSON L. LIVINGOOD Chief Administrative Officer JAMES M. EAGEN III Chaplain REV. DANIEL P. COUGHLIN The Congress of the United States was created by Article I, section 1, of the Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787,providing that ‘‘All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.’’The first Congress under the Constitution met on March 4, 1789, in the Federal Hall in New York City. The membership then consisted of 20 1 Senators and 59 Representatives.

7. The Council on Environmental Quality formulates and recommends national policies to promote the improvement of the quality of the environment. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was established within the Executive Office of the President by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) established the Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ) to provide professional and administrative support for the Council. The Council and OEQ are collectively referred to as the Council on Environmental Quality, and the CEQ Chair, who is appointed by the President, serves as the Director of OEQ. The Council develops policies which bring into productive harmony the Nation’s social, economic, and environmental priorities, with the goal of improving the quality of Federal decisionmaking. As required by NEPA, CEQ evaluates, coordinates, and mediates Federal activities; advises and assists the President on both national and international environmental policymatters; and prepares the President’s annual environmental quality report to Congress. In addition, it oversees Federal agency and department implementation of NEPA.

8. Organization of the Federal Government

9. Federal Government • Executive Branch • Judicial Branch • Legislative Branch

10. Executive Office of the President • The President • The Vice President • The White House Home Page • Offices within the Executive Office of the President • The President's Cabinet

11. Some Presidential Documents Executive Orders About Executive Orders (from NARA) Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is published every Monday and is the official publication of presidential statements, messages, remarks, and other materials released by the White House Press Secretary. Public Papers of the Presidents -published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, began in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission.

12. Executive Departments • Department of Agriculture (USDA) • http://www.usda.gov/ • Department of Commerce (DOC) • http://www.commerce.gov/ • Department of Defense (DOD) • http://www.defenselink.mil/ • Department of Education (ED) • http://www.ed.gov • Department of Energy (DOE) • http://www.energy.gov • Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) • http://www.hhs.gov/ • Department of Homeland Security (DHS) • http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/

13. Executive Departments • Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) • http://www.hud.gov/ • Department of the Interior (DOI) • http://www.doi.gov/ • Department of Justice (DOJ) • http://www.usdoj.gov/ • Department of Labor (DOL) • http://www.dol.gov/ • Department of State (DOS) • http://www.state.gov/ • Department of Transportation (DOT) • http://www.dot.gov/ • Department of the Treasury • http://www.treasury.gov/ • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) • http://www.va.gov/

14. Judicial Branch Judicial Branch (from the Government Manual) About federal courts http://www.fjc.gov/federal/courts.nsf

15. Legislative Branch Senate http://www.senate.gov House of Representatives http://www.house.gov

16. Agencies that Support Congress • Architect of the Capitol • Congressional Budget Office (CBO) • General Accounting Office (GAO) • Government Printing Office (GPO) • Library of Congress • Stennis Center for Public Service • U.S. Botanic Garden

17. Best Search Site for Congressional Material “Thomas” http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas2.html Documents of Note Congressional Record - official publication of Congressional proceedings Federal Register - official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)-codification of the general and permanent rules US Code (USC)-codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States

18. Documents of Note - continued Statistical Abstract of the United States- An authoritative source for data on the economic, social, and political lives of Americans. Historical Statistics of the United States, colonial times to 1970 – not available online. Economic Report of the President- an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices.

19. Documents of Note - continued Occupational Outlook Handbook - Revised every two years, it describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations. GAO Reports- The General Accounting Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress. GAO examines the use of public funds, evaluates federal programs and activities, and provides analyses, options, recommendations, and other assistance at the request of Congress. Example

20. Documents of Note - continued Foreign Relations of the United States-the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The series began in 1861 and now comprises more than 350 individual volumes. The volumes published over the last two decades increasingly contain declassified records from all the foreign affairs agencies. CIA World Fact Book- produced by CIA's Directorate of Intelligence. The Factbook is a comprehensive resource of facts and statistics on more than 250 countries and other entities.

21. Documents of Note - continued Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments - The directory is intended to be used primarily as a reference aid and includes as many governments of the world as is considered practical, some of them not officially recognized by the United States. The National Map - an online, interactive map service that provides public access to high-quality, geospatial data and information from multiple partners. National Biological Information Infrastructure- an electronic gateway to biological data and information maintained by the USGS.

22. Gateways to Note GPO Access FirstGov National Contact Center –from GSA. Has 800 number to ask questions. National Technical Information Center (NTIS) –information on more than 600,000 information products covering over 350 subject areas from over 200 federal agencies. Sells copies of reports and studies to the general public, many not available directly from the sponsoring organization.

23. Tools to Use GPO Access FirstGov -the official U.S. gateway to all government information. Has topical and customer-focused links. Monthly Catalog World Cat - OCLC Database Google Uncle Sam

24. Some Thoughts Government documents are just information published by the government. They are in many different formats and found in many places. They are about almost any subject. Thinking about what organization has an interest in a subject will help. Electronic coverage may vary from place to place and electronic coverage frequently won’t cover older publications. Some organizations only keep the current version of items on their site. Expect to find dead links and redirects to documents.

25. More Thoughts Use email and phone numbers from official web sites for more information. You have paid for creation of this information with your tax dollars. Use it!