Organizational Chart of U.S. Government

To aid in finding government information, it is important to understand the organizational structure of the U.S. Government. The Constitution of the United States establishes three separate branches of government: Legislative, Judicial, and Executive. See page 21 of the Government Manual for Government of the United States

"The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information. Since 1813, depository libraries have safeguarded the public's right to know by collecting, organizing, maintaining, preserving, and assisting users with information from the Federal Government. The FDLP provides Government information at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country and territories. These depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access to Government information in an impartial environment with professional assistance."

Check out Documents Data Miner: DDM2 : A Library Management System for United States Government Documents (Wichita State University Libraries and WSU Computing Center)

Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms Used For U.S. Government Publications (Central Washington University)

FDLP Glossary (Federal Depository Library Program)

Federal Depository Library Directory

Currently there are approximately 1,200 Federal Depository Libraries. CSU, Chico became a depository in 1962.

Depository Libraries in Northern California include:

• California State Library (Regional) (100%),
• U.C. Berkeley (82%)
• U.C. Davis (80%)
• Humboldt State University (Arcata) (66%)
• Sacramento Public Library (49%)
• CSU, Sacramento (41%)
• CSU,Chico (28%)
• Shasta County Library (Redding) (14%).

Here is the Federal Depository Library Directory from the FDLP. And from DDM2 [select "Depository Selection and Directory"].

Each depository library is assigned a Federal Depository library number. 0045B is CSU, Chico's depository number.

The List of Classes of United States Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries lists titles and series of documents currently available for selection (in SuDoc order). Also included is publication frequency, format (P, MF, CD-ROM, EL), and item number. Electronic versions of the List of Classes are available FDLP and DDM2 [select "List of Classes"]

Item numbers are assigned to every document title (for example, the item number for Statistical Abstract of the U.S. is 0150, the item number for Uniform Crime Reports is 0772, etc.) As of 2-20-2006, CSU,Chico has selected 2046 items out of a possible 7275 (=28%). Current Item Number Selection Profiles for individual libraries are are available from FDLP [enter the depository number] and DDM2 [select "Depository Selection and Directory"] .

To find document titles that libraries received when selecting a particular item number, go to DDM2 [select "Shelf Lists" and type in the item number].

Shipping lists are packing slips of documents sent in depository shipments. There are paper, microfiche, electronic (CD-ROM, diskettes) and separates/map shipments. Shipping Lists can be viewed at FDLP and DDM2 [select "Shipping Lists"].

Collection Development

CSU, Chico has been a selective depository for federal documents since 1962. Although the library's primary clientele are students, faculty and staff of CSU, Chico, we also serve people living in the Chico area as well as Butte County and surrounding counties. Government Documents collection development emphasizes subjects taught at CSU,Chico as well as topics of importance to local areas, such as agriculture, demographics, business & economics, historical, environment, construction, housing, legal, social services, and much more.

Here is a Suggested Core Collection from the FDLP with annotations for Small to Medium Public (P) and Academic (A) Libraries and for All Law Libraries (L)

Core Documents of U.S. Democracy is the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society.

Essential Titles for Public Use in Paper Format and titles that are to remain available for selection in paper format, so long as they are published in paper by the originating agency.

Docs:

The "Agency Approach" To Locating Government Information on the Internet a tutorial created by: Chuck Malone, Government Information Librarian Western Illinois University Library

AALL/GODORT Government Documents Tutorial Charlene Cain (LSU) and Larry Schankman (Mansfield Univ.)

Census Tutorial (Daniel Cornwall, Alaska State Library)

How to Effectively Locate Federal Government Information on the World Wide Web (Patricia Cruse (UCSD) & Sherry DeDecker (UCSB))

Methods of Finding Government Information (Kay Collins, UCIrvine)

Legislative Research: A Web-Based Bibliographic Instruction Program for the Documents Center at the University of Michigan

Reference Training, Tutorials and Document Courses (GODORT Handout Exchange)

Toolbox for Processing and Cataloging Federal Government Documents (ALA / GODORT)

U.S. Congressional Serial Set : What It Is and Its History (GPO)

SuDocs Classification:

Finding a Document on the Shelf--SuDocs Classification (Colorado State University Libraries)

Learning SuDocs Call Numbers (Becky Fox, Michigan State University)

SuDocs Number Exercise (Colorado State University Libraries)

Government Documents Librarianship

Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) (American Library Association)

GODORT Handout Exchange

Government Documents Librarianship (University of Michigan, Documents Center)

Top 10 List for New Depository Coordinators (GPO Access)

Twenty-One Things To Do When Assuming Responsibility for A Federal Depository Library (University of North Texas Libraries)

U.S. Depository Libraries WWW Home Pages (University of Idaho)

from the Government Printing Office:

Administrative Notes : monthly newsletters about FDLP issues
AskGPO : GPO Help Center
Keeping America Informed : Federal Depository Library Program
GPO Access Training Manual
GPO's Living History: Adelaide R. Hasse
Short History of GPO (55 pages)
Snapshots of the Federal Depository Library Program

Cal Docs Training

In 1945, the California Legislature passed the Library Distribution Act (LDA) establishing the California Depository system to make state publications freely available to the citizens of California. CSU, Chico is a complete depository for California State documents and receives all publications distributed by the State Printer and all publications directly issued from executive agencies, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. The California State Library is responsible for carrying out the provisions of the LDA by developing and maintaining standards for depository libraries, granting depository status to libraries, and administering the depository program. Chico State College became a state depository library in 1962.

There are 137 libraries statewide currently participating in this program. Here is a list of full and selective State Document Depository Libraries.

California depository libraries in Northern California:

• California State Library (full)
• CSU, Chico (full)
• U.C. Davis (full)
• U.C. Berkeley (full)
• Butte County Library, Oroville (selective)
• Shasta County Library (Redding) (selective)
• CSU, Sacramento (selective)
• Sacramento Public Library (selective)
• Humboldt State University (Arcata) (selective)
• Humboldt County Library (Eureka) (selective)

For more information see:

California State Library

California State Documents Collection and Depository Library Program Information

compiled by Gloria Branson - February 2006