Finding Federal Documents at HSU Government Documents

Quick Guide to Finding

| Physical Documents | ONLINE Documents |

How to Search

Types of Documents available:

We have documents on every subject imaginable: environmental impact statements, health statistics, employment information, legal material, even how to have a traditional Victorian Christmas. These documents take many different formats:

	Paper--Of course, many documents are on paper. These may be single page fliers, pamphlets, books or magazines. Most of these items can be checked out, and all are available to use here, or photocopy (US Government Documents generally don't have copyright restrictions).
	Microform--Some documents are on microfiche or microfilm. This helps us provide more documents in a limited amount of space. Some microform can be checked out, and we have machines for viewing and making copies. We also own paper copies of some of these items.
	CD/DVD-ROM's--A lot of statistical information and more is available in this format. We have a computer dedicated to document CD/DVD-ROM's and are happy to help you use them. Some may require installation--ask if you need us to do so.
	VHS Tapes--Some documents come in the form of video cassette tapes. We have equipment available on the second floor in the Media Resources area for viewing, or can be checked out.
	Internet--The Federal Government is publishing more and more information on-line. This makes many publications easily accessible from any computer with an Internet connection.

Quick Guide to finding Physical Documents:

For items published after March 1998:
- HSU Library Online Catalog
Use one of the three on-line catalogs for information after 1976:
- Marcive Catalog (HSU users only) Has HSU holdings information.
- OCLC FirstSearch using WorldCat Database.
- The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
If you cannot find what you are looking for online, then you can use the hardbound Cumulative Index to the Monthly Catalog of US Government Publications for documents before June 1976. This can be found in the Abstract Section of Government Documents.

Check the SuDocs numbers in the SHELFLIST catalog to be sure the Library has the titles you want and then go to the US documents shelves.

Quick Guide to finding ONLINE Documents:

Often newer documents are published on-line. Try searching for the item on the web by searching by the title of the document:
- Uncle Sam Google
- Google
For easy access to lots of government information, explore:
- GPO Access
- First Gov.gov
Be sure to check out the other the other links on this web site:
- Online Resources
- Agency Publications

The Library Catalog

In 1998, we began adding records for some federal documents to our Library Catalog, and in 1999, we began adding some California State government documents.

As you search on almost any topic in the HSU Library catalog, you will run into US Documents. Almost all monographs received since 1998 are listed in the catalog. You can search for a particular title, author/agency, subject, or keyword.

As you search the catalog, you will be able to recognize US Documents by the location: "US Government Documents, 3rd floor, north" and by the notation "Docs" at SuDoc number. The call number may end in "fiche" indicating that we have this item in microfiche, filed in the Documents department. Some US Documents records may be for periodicals. If you are looking for a particular volume or issue, check the U.S. Government Documents Shelflist before you check the shelf. 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 SuDoc 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 US Documents Shelflist--the card catalog adjacent to Room 307. This file lists our holdings in SuDocs number order, just as the publications are lined up on the shelves. For monographic items after March 1998 check the Library catalog.

In addition to telling you whether or not the Library owns a particular title, the shelflist also indicates the format of the publication--that is, whether it is a paper copy or a microform copy. Many of the newer materials are coming in microfiche format, so you need to be sure of where to look for the item. If a publication is received in microform a notation to that effect will appear on the shelflist card in one of the following variations: M, MF or MICROFICHE, most frequently in red lettering, but not always. Several backfiles are received in microfilm and these are so noted on their respective shelflist cards. If the item is a paper copy, no special notation is made.

Documents microform is shelved in cabinets near Room 306 in the Documents section of the Library.

In the US Documents Shelflist, you can also ascertain if the Library receives publications from a particular agency by checking the AGENCY file. These drawers are labeled in green and say US Documents Agency File. There is also a SERIES file for publications which are published periodically under a common title. For example, if you already know the series title, such as the General Technical Reports series put out by the US Forest Service, you may go directly to the shelflist series drawers. These are yellow cards and say US Documents Series.

Monthly Catalog

A major index to U.S. documents is the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (GP 3.8: and GP 3.8/8:). It is available in two different formats, Print and Electronic:

ELECTRONIC VERSION - 1: There are two versions of the electronic access to the Monthly Catalog. The Marcive Catalog - (HSU Users only) is cumulative from July 1976 to the present. It has author, title, subject, series, and SuDocs (Superintendent of Documents) call number indexes. It uses Library of Congress subject headings, the same ones you can use in the Library catalog. By checking the "HOLDINGS" button, you can see if this is an item we select. If we do select this item, there is a good chance we will have this item in our Library.

ELECTRONIC VERSION - 2: The other version is for remote use by library patrons who are not HSU students, faculty or staff. This open access version is available from the Government Printing Office Web Page, and begins coverage from January 1994.
PRINT VERSION: which in its current format goes back to 1895, (other print indexes are available back to 1789). The print Monthly Catalog is organized in the same way as an abstract. It has author, titles, subject, series, and (in recent years) keyword indexes in the back of each volume, with a reference number to the full entry in the main part of the volume. The print Monthly Catalog volumes are shelved outside the Humboldt Room on the third floor of the Library.

The example below shows a typical subject entry.

EXAMPLE: to find a document about environmental monitoring, you must first locate your topic in the SUBJECT INDEX.

NOTE: The SuDocs number is in parentheses from 1987 on. For years prior to that, you will find an entry number, 89-1587. (89 indicates year)

Step 1:
SAMPLE SUBJECT INDEX ENTRY:

Environmental monitoring
Guidelines for measuring the physical,
chemical, and biological condition of
wilderness ecosystems / Fox, Douglas
G. (A 13.88:RM-146), 89-1587

Step 2: Go to the appropriate monthly issue, 1989 to find entry #1587.

SAMPLE ENTRY:

89-1587
A 13.88:RM-146
Fox, Douglas G. Guidelines for measuring the physical, chemical, and biological condition of wilderness ecosystems / Douglas G. Fox and J. Christopher Bernabo, Betsy Hood.--Fort Collins, Colo. :US Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.[1987] i, 48 p. :ill., 1 form; 28 cm.--(General technical report RM; 146) Distributed to depository libraries in microfiche. "November 1987." Includes bibliographies. þItem 83-B-6 (micro-fiche) 1. Biotic communities. 2. Environmental monitoring. 3. Wilderness areas. I. Bernabo, J. Christopher. II. Hood, Betsy A. III. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station (Fort Collins, Colo.) IV. Title. V. Series. OCLC 17427811

Step 3: Go to the Shelflist and look up the SuDocs Number:

A 13.88:RM-146

If this entry is listed, we own the document, you can now go to the stacks and find your document.

Remember, you will still need to check our SHELFLIST (card catalog) or HSU Online Catalog to be sure that we currently own the item you find while searching the both versions of the monthly catalog.

Index to Government Periodicals

Another major area of US government publications is periodicals. The Index to US Government Periodicals covers most of them from 1970 through 1987. It is located on the abstract tables outside the Humboldt Room. HSU Library receives over 90 percent of the 170 titles covered by this index. To find the full title of a periodical, you must look at the list in the front of the bound volumes or at the inside front and back covers of the quarterly issues. This list also provides SuDocs numbers.

Periodicals are interfiled with other federal documents by their SuDocs number. You can also use the SERIES file by looking up the title in the Shelflist. It provides the most complete listing of the US government periodicals owned by HSU.

Other Resources

The Monthly Catalog of US Government Publications and the Index to US Government Periodicals are the most important access tools for our US government documents collection; however, they are not the only ones available. Listed below are several other significant indexes to document materials which are located on the abstract tables outside of the Humboldt Room on the Library's third floor.

American Statistics Index (ASI) (1974- ) (abstr Docs HA 195:A46) Published annually by Congressional Information Service, it is a master guide and index to all the statistical publications of the US government. The first volume has separate indexes by subjects and name, by categories, by titles, and by agency report numbers. The second volume contains abstracts, or summaries of each publication indexed. This is an excellent first place to look if all you want is statistical information.
US Statistical Abstract (ref Docs C 3.134 or abstr Docs C 3.134) is another comprehensive source for statistical information.
CIS/Annual (CIS) (1970- ) (abstr Docs KF 49:C62) Published annually by Congressional Information Service, with monthly CIS/Index updates, it provides access to all publications of Congress except the Congressional Record, which has its own index. Each year CIS indexes and abstracts the hearings and reports of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It also includes legislative histories of all public laws enacted during the year and updated legislative histories of previous years.
Congressional Index (CI) (1975- ) (abstr Docs J 69:C6) Published by Commerce Clearing House, CI permits quick research on status of all legislation pending in Congress. All public bills and resolutions are listed and indexed, and their progress is reported from introduction to final disposition. A subject index to all current bills is found in Volume 1.
Subject Bibliography (abstr Docs GP 3.22/2) These binders contain over 300 current short subject bibliographies compiled by the Superintendent of Documents on a wide range of topics of general interest. If there is one on your topic, you will save hours of searching through indexes to federal publications. The last binder contains a master index to all subjects covered.

The government documents on the third floor provide a valuable informational resource that is often overlooked by researchers at the HSU Library. This site only highlights the most important of these resources. Be sure to ask at the third floor Information Desk for additional government sources for your research. For information on documents published by the state of California, see California State Documents Collection.

IF YOU CANNOT FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, PLEASE ASK THE LIBRARIAN ON DUTY FOR ASSISTANCE