Quick Guide to Finding
| Physical Documents | ONLINE Documents |
How
to Search
| HSU
Library Catalog | Shelflist |
The California State Documents Collection
In addition to documents we receive from the federal government (see U.S. Government Documents Collection), the HSU Library is a selective depository for California State publications, meaning we get many, but not all, items issued by the State printer. State agencies publish on a wide range of subjects, such as fish and game, geology, election returns, water conservation, governmental activities, etc.
You will find California documents on the north end of the third floor, across the aisle (west) from U.S. Documents. Their call numbers have the prefix "CalDocs". Many items in this collection since mid-1999 are listed in the Library catalog.
The California State Library uses a unique numbering system for California Documents - the California State Agency Classification System. The first letter is based on a key word in the publishing's agency name. Thus, W730 represents the State Water Resources Control Board. The next line derives from the individual title (i.e. Humboldt Bay: H85). This second line is a decimal number (unlike SuDocs numbering system). Therefore, W730.H85 would come before W730.H9. The prefix "CalDocs" appears before a State Library number to distinguish it from federal documents ("Docs") and other library books.
The main paper index to California documents is California State Publications (CSP), published by the State Library. The years 1945-1981 are in a yellow-bound print edition. 1982 through the last complete year are cumulated on microfiche. These indexes are located in the CalDoc shelves at (CalDoc L575.P94). You can search for items by author, subject, or title.
The example below shows how to use the print index. First check the index in the back of each yearly issue:
Federal and State Programs of financial Assistance for water development. Handbook of L500 W3 1968 no.1 FERTILITY, HUMAN
Fertility and family planning; world view,
Memorandum on P1100 F45
Filling of San Francisco Bay
L500 N3 1067 no.2
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Then find the corresponding entry by call number in the front
section:
DEPT OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley 94704 P1100 California's health. monthly. * Ø C35 P1100 Memorandum on University of Michigan sesquicentennial
F45 celebration: Fertility and family planning world view,
November 15, 1967, By Robert W. Day. 4, 2 p.
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The California documents on the third floor provide a valuable
resource that is often overlooked by researchers.
Quick Guide to finding Physical Documents:
- Check
the HSU Library
On-Line Catalog for monographs
and most periodicals (definition) published
since mid-1999.
If
you need help in how to search
the catalog, click on the Help button.
-
The on-line catalog does not necessarily reflect what we own, so you must also check the California Documents Shelflist for our holdings.
- Use Melvyl and/or the California State Library's online catalog to learn the CalDoc number assigned to the document you are looking for. If this is an item we own, you should be sure to check our CalDocs Shelflist.
- Remember
to write the call number down and finally,
go to the shelves at the north end of the third
floor and find
the item on the shelf.
- Note: Monographs and most periodicals (definition) published since mid-1999 are listed in the Library On-Line Catalog. The best way to search for a periodical is to search by the title of the publication, not by the title of the article. The catalog will indicate location of the item in front of the Call Number.
Quick Guide to finding ONLINE Documents:
- Google is often used to find newer documents that are published on-line by searching for the title of the document. For access to agency web sites, search by the name of the agency. Be sure to include "California" in your search, or your results will not be specific to this state.
- Google Uncle Sam works for state and local government also (it limits to .gov addresses)
You can search on almost any topic in the HSU Library catalog for California State documents, by searching for a particular title, author/agency, subject or keyword. You will recognize the location of the California State Document by the location: "California Government Documents, 3rd floor, north" and by the notation "CalDocs" in the beginning of the call number.
If you need assistance on how to search the catalog, click on the Help button, and there you will find explanation on various search methods.
Do We Own the Item? Checking the Shelflist.
Once you know the CalDocs number, the next step is to determine whether or not the Library owns the item. To do this, you will need to check the number in the California Documents Shelflist--the card catalog adjacent to Room 309. This file lists our holdings in call number order, just as the publications are lined up on the shelves.
The file cannot be used for searching by author, title or subject. You can find the number for a particular agency, such as the Dpeartment of Fish and Game, F650, by checking the Agency File drawers of the card catalog, or a series title, such as Fish Bulletin, F650.F5, by checking the Series Index in the three drawers on the right side of the card catalog.
Remember, most California Documents are allowed to be circulated and checked out for a three week non renewable term. So if you are certain after checking our online catalog and the shelflist that we do not own the item, the library may be able to obtain the item for you through Interlibrary Loan.
Send comments and suggestions about this page to: Documents
Last Updated: February 15, 2004
The Library, Humboldt State University, One Harpst St., Arcata, California 95521-8299
Telephone: 707-826-3441 Fax: 707-826-3440