Government Publications Collection

The United States government is the largest publisher in the world, publishing thousands of items a year on almost any subject imaginable in a number of different formats. Topics range from cooking to technical research. These publications are the result of the activities of the many government departments and agencies; they are up-to-date and written by authorities on the subjects. Many contain statistics not available elsewhere.

Please ask at the Reference Desk or contact the Government Documents Librarian for further information about government publications.

Federal Depository Libraries

To make this vast amount of information available to the public, the government has designated libraries (known as Federal Depository Libraries) to receive these publications. Nine libraries in North Dakota are Federal Depository Libraries.

The NDSU Library has been a Depository Library since 1907, and maintains a growing collection of more than 400,000 items.

The NDSU Library and the Chester Fritz Library at the University of North Dakota together constitute a Regional Depository, one of 50 in the U.S. This means that every depository publication is received by at least one of the two libraries. The collection is divided between the two libraries by government departments.

A list of agencies whose publications are available at UND and NDSU is available. Each library may also receive some publications from the other library's categories. For example, NDSU also receives some publications from agencies such as the Census Bureau, NASA, Smithsonian Institution, and Internal Revenue Service, which are in UND's categories.

The Minnesota State University Moorhead Library also is a depository.

How to Find Government Publications Call Numbers

Many government publications are included in NDSU's database in the online catalog. Select "U. S. Government Documents" on WebPALS or use the command SET FILE GPO on Classic PALS to access a database of government publications back to 1976. Indexes are available in the reference collection for locating older publications.

Citing Government Publications in Your Paper

Several printed style manuals are available at the Reference Desk and in the Library's collection. These manuals contain examples of how to reference government publications. There are also some guides on the Internet.

Government Publications in the NDSU Library

Government publications on paper are shelved in the northwest section of the upper level of the Main Library. Microfiche and maps are filed in the northwest section of the lower level. However, many maps are currently unavailable due to the Library flood in June 2000.

Collections are arranged by the Superintendent of Documents classification system. This system is based on government organization rather than subjects, which keeps all publications of the same government department or agency together.

Government publications may be checked out at the Circulation Desk. Items not available at NDSU may be obtained through interlibrary loan.

See the Government Documents Policies for further information.

Government Information on the World Wide Web

Many Federal agencies are making information available on the World Wide Web. A variety of indexes and guides are available.