Talking in the Library

PURLs of Information: Uncovering Government Documents in the K-State Libraries’ Online Catalog

If you’ve ever looked for an electronic version of a government document, if you had the full title, you found it via a Google search.  But did you know that, as a member of the depository library program, K-State actually catalogs all of the government documents we receive or access—yes, even those in electronic-only format—and they can be accessed from the OPAC record?  These hyperlinks or PURLs (persistent uniform resource locators) basically ensure that even if the URL changes, the link to the document remains stable.

Take a look at this example:

In 1993, since the passage of the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993, the Government Printing Office’s (GPO) mandate to provide access to government information was updated to include the creation and  dissemination of government documents in electronic format.  Since then, there has been a marked decline in the number of print documents issued while the number of electronic titles have increased.  By 2005, approximately 90% of the titles available to depository libraries through GPO were available in electronic format.  You might wonder why the Libraries would bother to catalog titles that are freely available via the Internet.  Well, part of our responsibility as a depository library requires us to “provide custody and service for depository materials”.  That just means that we agree to maintain a collection of government documents and that we help our users find and access the information.  In the case of older documents, PURLs provide an additonal means of access to government information.  K-State Libraries imports an average of 500 PURLs a month to the online catalog.

Need help locating a government document?  Ask a Librarian, or contact Regina Beard (rmbeard@k-state.edu).

 

Jaeger, P. T., Bertot, J. C., & Shuler, J. A. (2010). The federal depository library program (FDLP), academic libraries, and access to government information. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 36(6), 469-478.

U.S. Government Printing Office, (2009). Legal Requirements and Program Regulations, 2.

 

Submitted by Regina Beard, Government Documents coordinator

 

 

 

 

Government Document of the Day

    
Starting today, we’re going to periodically feature government documents that are available through K-State Libraries.  Whether it’s a document that’s shelved in Stack Level F (where we keep most of the physical copies of government documents) or one that is electronically accessible, we think it’s important to highlight the variety and breadth of documents that are available for various types of research. 

Today’s featured government document is “Immediate Relief From High Oil Prices: Deploying The Strategic Petroleum Reserves.”  On October 17, 1973, several Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations issued an oil embargo on particular countries, including the United States.  This event led to the 1973-1974 oil crisis.  In response to the economic crisis that followed, President Ford signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).  As a result of this legislation, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ensure U.S. consumers an uninterrupted supply of oil in times of urgent need.

And as always, please don’t hesitate to Ask A Librarian if you should have any questions about government documents research.

Sources:

“Strategic Petroleum Reserve – Profile.” U.S. Department of Energy. Fossil

    Energy Office of Communications. 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.

September 17-- Constitution Day!

Did you know that the U.S. Constitution was drafted in about 100 days? State-appointed deputies to the Constitutional Convention began meeting on May 25, 1787 and on September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates, of the more than 70 appointees, signed the Constitution.  This year marks the 225^th anniversary of that historic signing.

 

Here are a few more interesting facts about the Constitution:

 

Q. How many words are there in the text’s present volume, and how long does it take to read?

A. The Constitution has 4,543 words, including the signatures but not the certificate on the interlineations; and takes about half an hour to read.  The Declaration of Independence has 1,458 words, with the signatures, but is slower reading, as it takes about ten minutes. 

 

Q. Who were the oldest and youngest members of the Constitutional Convention?

A.  Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania) was 81; and Jonathan Dayton (New Jersey) was 26.

 

Q. Who was called the “Father of the Constitution”?

A. James Madison (Virginia), because in point of erudition and actual contributions to the formation of the Constitution, he was preeminent.

 

Q. Who actually wrote the Constitution?

A. In none of the relatively meager records of the Constitutional Convention is the literary authorship of any part of the Constitution definitely established.  The deputies debated proposed plans until, on July 24, 1787, substantial agreement having been reached, a Committee of Detail was appointed, consisting of John Rutledge (South Carolina); Edmund Randolph (Virginia); Nathaniel Gorham (Massachusetts); Oliver Ellsworth (Connecticut); and James Wilson (Pennsylvania), who on August 6 reported a draft which included a Preamble and twenty-three articles, embodying fifty-seven sections.  Debate continued until September 8, when a new Committee of Style was named to revise the draft.  This committee included William Samuel Johnson (Connecticut); Alexander Hamilton (New York); Gouverneur Morris (Pennsylvania); James Madison (Virginia); and Rufus King (Massachusetts), and they reported the draft in approximately its final shape on September 12.  The actual literary form is believed to be largely that of Morris, and the chief testimony for this is in the letters and papers of Madison, and Morris’s claim.  However, the document in reality was built slowly and laboriously, with not a piece of material included until it was shaped and approved.  The preamble was written by the Committee of Style.

 

Q. In what order did the State ratify the Constitution?

A. In the following order:  Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York.  After George Washington was inaugurated, North Carolina and Rhode Island ratified.

 

For the complete Constitution Q&A, see Constitution of the United States; Questions & Answers

 

Sources:

"Constitution Day and Citizenship Day | Law Library of Congress " RefGrab-It. 8/22/2012 <http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/constitution-day.php>.

 

"Constitution of the United States - A History, A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the U.S. Constitution." RefGrab-It. 8/21/2012 <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_history.html>.

 

"The Constitution of the United States: Questions and Answers ", Bloom, Sol.  RefGrab-It. 8/21/2012 <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_q_and_a.html>.

 

So...I have this government website for one of my sources. Should I use it?

Absolutely!  In fact, librarians are relieved when students find government websites for projects and research.  Why?  Government websites, unlike a lot of what you might find on the web, are credible and trustworthy.  How can you tell if a website is credible?  Lots of ways!  Let’s take a look at a few things you should consider:

 

1) Who wrote or compiled the information?

Is there an author listed or can you easily identify the organization that published the information?  Or…is it anonymous?  If you can’t find the author or the organization that published the material, it might be time to move on to another source.

 

2) Can you find information about the author(s) or the organization?

Are there credentials listed after the author’s name?  Or can you easily find additional information about the agency or organization?   Look for indications of authority such as a PhD, MD, MS, or other letters indicating that the author has evidence of completing a higher education or graduate degree.  Also, look for affiliations with a university or government organization. 

3) Can you independently verify the information presented?

Can you trace the information presented back to its original source?  Where is the author or organization getting the information?  If you can’t verify the information—you got it—it might be time to move on to another source. 

4) Do they cite their sources?

This goes hand-in-hand with independently verifying the information presented.  Does the source cite a particular study, but doesn’t give any other information about the study? Is there a reference list at the bottom or are references cited throughout the website?  

5) How does it compare to other information you find?

Does the source talk about the topic in a new way that you’ve never encountered?  Is it so out there that you can’t find other sources that talk about it in the same manner?  Remember to think critically and take care when selecting your sources.

These steps give the researcher—you—even more reasons for finding and using government websites in your research.  Want to get started using government information on the web?  Click here to get started.  Also, check out the links below for more information about evaluating websites and other information you find on the web.

 

http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/evalwebpages.html

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

 

And remember, don't hesitate to Ask-A-Librarian if you have questions!

 

Sources:

Eckman, A.S. (2011, June 28).  Type 2 diabetes – risk factors.  Retrieved from      

                http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002072.htm 

 

--Ashley Stark

How do I cite a government document?

Citing government documents can be tricky.  They are published in many different formats, including Congressional committee reports, Federal regulations, public laws, and more.  But that should not stop you from using, and properly citing, a government document in your paper or listing it in your sources cited.  The challenges of citing a government document may stem from the fact that government entities do not always conform to standard publishing guidelines.  A title may vary, even in the same document; the copyright date may not be included; or any one of a number of other discrepancies may pop up when it’s you are trying to complete your bibliography.  Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides guidelines for simple government citations.  But if your sources are more complex, check these online and print options:   

Citing Government Information Sources Using MLA (Modern Language Association) StyleCensus Bureau style suggestions

MLA handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Call # LB2369 .G53 2009.  Copies located in the first floor reference collection and from Library Help on the second floor.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.  Call # BF76.7 .P83 2010. Copies located in the first floor reference collection and from Library Help on the second floor.

Don’t forget, you can stop by the 2nd floor for Library Help or Ask a Librarian during the hours when the desk is staffed.

--sources used with author’s permission

 ~Regina M. Beard

Government Documents: What on Earth is a SuDoc?

So you’re looking for the perfect resource in the catalog and you’ve found it—a government document located in Stack Level F.  Only the call number looks funny.  Really funny.  Something like this:

C 61.2:M 34/9

What you have is a SuDoc (Superintendent of Documents) number.  Although it resembles how we organize our other materials in the library, by the Library of Congress, it’s quite different.  Let’s break it down.

The system follows what we call a provenance system—documents are arranged by the creating agency.  Therefore, SuDoc numbers that begin with A are Department of Agriculture publications, C is Commerce and JU for Judiciary. See the entire list here.  Exceptions are X and Y which are reserved for Congress. 

The important thing to remember is that these documents are NOT arranged by subject area.  So…you won’t necessarily find climate data in the same location—it’ll be spread across multiple agencies. 

Remember:

1. The first number after the letter is the sub-agency.  C = Department of Commerce; C 3 = Census Bureau (a sub-agency within the Department of Commerce).
2. The SuDoc system is not a decimal system.  Any number after a period is treated as a whole number. For example, read 224 as a whole number in C 3.224.  This will make it easier when you look for SuDocs on the shelf.
3. If in doubt, Ask-A-Librarian!

 

Ashley Stark

Sources:

Federal Depository Library Program.  (2004, May 24).  An Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System.  Retrieved from http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/explain.html

We have Government Documents at our fingertips

Did you know that K-State Libraries has been a depository library since 1907?  And what, you might ask, is a depository library?  The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress in the 1800s to ensure the public’s access to information about government activities.  More than 1,200 U.S. libraries currently participate in the program, eighteen of which are scattered throughout Kansas in private and public colleges and universities as well as in public libraries.

As a participant,  K-State  receives  publications—books, magazines, pamphlets, maps, and more—for free, from the Government Printing Office (GPO), which we agree to make available to the public.  Most of K-State’s print government documents collection is located in Stack F; maps and microforms are stored in the white metal cabinets on the third floor.  More and more government documents are available electronically and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. 

One way to determine if your OPAC search results include government publications is to check the Location field for any inclusion of the word government.  Another clue will be the call number. Unlike most of the Libraries resources, government resources do not use the Library of Congress Classification (LC) system, but are organized by SuDoc (Superintendent of Documents) numbers—we’ll talk about that in another post.

A SuDoc number for a government agriculture resource might look like this:

A 1.2:C83/12

But an LC call number for a non-government agriculture resource might look more like this:

S441 .J247 2010

It can get a little confusing, but just remember, help is never far away.  Every depository library appoints a coordinator whose responsibilities include helping users locate government documents.  K-State’s coordinator is Regina Beard (rmbeard@k-state.edu).  Give her a shout if you need some help.  And, of course, you can always Ask a librarian!

~Regina Beard

Sources

Keeping America Informed. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1999, Print. Government Printing Office, About GPO, access December 22, 2011.

Short Cuts: Community Service Week promotes Disaster Preparedness. Supplement your Knowledge with Gov Docs!

Hopefully by now you've all read the K-State Book Network Common Read Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, but for those few who haven't yet: spoilers ahead!

Adulrahman Zeitoun acted in an extraordinary fashion during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was from his sense of community that he felt compelled to care for his neighbors, but it was from his experience with storms and the preparations he made that enabled him to act so heroically.

Hurricane Katrina damage (retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons by Isgcp)

In the spirit of Zeitoun, HandsOn K-State has prepared a series of events and volunteer opportunities on disaster preparedness for Community Service Week, October 15-22.

Want to familiarize yourself with some of our disaster preparedness resources at K-State Libraries? Our government resources are the place to go to discover current and historic disaster preparedness strategies, procedures, and agencies. First, take a look at what FEMA and the Center for Disease Control has to offer --- more government resources can be found here and here. Remember the URL for online government resources will always end in .gov!

Though most current government documents can be found online, you can also search for government materials in print. When searching in the Catalog, try limiting by Location to Government Publications. Also, if you'd like to peruse our print Government Documents in detail, please know that they've been moved (sort of) recently and can now be found on Stack Level F --- right between our 3rd and 4th floors.

Zombie attack! (retrieved from Flickr Creative Commons by Mr/Smith)

And if you're more worried about disasters of the supernatural variety, the CDC has got you covered there too.

Dan Ireton

Creating anti-gravity illusion

Michael Jackson was a patent filing man, yes, yes he was.  Turns out that freaky lean in his Smooth Criminal dance had a little crafty assistance via a Method and Means for Creating Anti-Gravity Illusion.

Have a brilliant idea or just curious how something works? You can search U.S. patents a couple of ways. The United States Patent and Trademark office permits you to search for patents filed in the U.S. back to 1790. Google (of course) has a pretty effective patent search, too.  As a big fan of our moving shelves, I found this patent for a Book Shelf Moving Apparatus filed in 1989 intriguing.  And here's a patent for an Article Transporting Robot (I think it's based on the Jetson's maid, Rosie.)

Searching for patents requires some patience and creativity.  I think there must be some law that requires a patent to be written in the most circular language possible.   I personally found the Google Patent search most useful, and really liked the "Referenced by" feature that links to later patents that cite the patent in question. 

Epizootic influenza of swine...huh?

Tara "Talked in the Library" previously about recent published information regarding the swine flu, once also known as hog influenza. You may be wondering how I discovered the older term. Well, while searching for information on swine flu in some authentic federal government documents, I discovered historical information about hog influenza.

In the 1877 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture, I read that hog cholera was a real concern of most farmers. However, the term cholera at this time was used in discussion of various hog diseases, and Professor James Law of Cornell believed there should be another term used to separate one specific hog disease from cholera. He used the term epizootic influenza of swine (page 386). I gathered from his report that he coined this phrase right then and there! However, many of you at K-State (and I do mean very many!) know more about animal diseases than I do. Am I correct? Or did the phrase come out before 1877?

When did this hog flu begin to spread to humans? In my research I found that the National Swine Flu Immunization Program was discussed at great length in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976. Oh my goodness so much to learn! However, maybe for now I will leave the research on the human aspect of this disease to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

If you want to read further about Dr. Law and epizootic influenza of swine, then I suggest searching for the report via Lexis Nexis Congressional, available through K-State Libraries database page. Or, if you are like many of our researchers and prefer your 500 plus pages of agricultural information in book format, we have it shelved on the 3rd floor in Hale Library under the SuDoc call number of A1.1:1877. And as always, our library staff will be glad to help you find it if you want. That’s our job! And we love it.