This document provides an overview of government information resources available through libraries in the Tri-State region of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It discusses the objectives of making government information accessible to citizens, highlights some key resources like the Federal Depository Library Program and SuDoc classification system, and provides details on access to information through libraries in the region. Contact information is provided for further assistance.

1. Government Information for All
Tri-State Region
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont

2. Objectives of presentation
o Types of government information that is available for all citizens
o How to access government produced information both electronic
and in tangible formats
o Where to turn for further assistance

3. James Madison
A popular Government without popular information, or the
means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a
Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern
ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own
Governors, must arm themselves with the power which
knowledge gives.
August 4, 1822

4. Tenants of Government Information
Access
• The public has the right of access to government
information;
• Government has the obligation to disseminate and provide
broad public access to its information;
• Government has an obligation to guarantee the authenticity
and integrity of its information;
• Government has an obligation to preserve its information;
and
• Government information created and compiled by
government employees or at government expense should
remain in the public domain.

5. Government Printing Office History
• GPO officially established in 1813 with contract printers
• Began in house printing during the 1860’s
• Public Printer Bill Boarman on GPO
• Government one of largest publishers
• 1,250 depository libraries
• Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was
established, 1895, by Congress to ensure that the
American public had access to its Government's
information
• Free access to any citizen at any depository library

6. FDLP Logo
Displayed at all library entrances participating in program
http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/FDLPdir.jsp

7. Resources
Every library has: • Crime in the United States
• Budget of the United States • Economic Report of the
• Catalog of Federal Domestic President
Assistance • Federal Register
• • Census Bureau Catalog
• Franchise Opportunities
• Census of Housing Handbook
• Census of Population • Historical Statistics of the U.S.
• Code of Federal Regulations • Monthly Catalog of Gov
(CFR) Publications
• Congressional Directory • Occupational Outlook
• County-City Data Book Handbook

8. Resources continued
• Publications Reference File
• Slip Laws
• Statistical Abstract
• Statutes at Large
• Subject Bibliographies
• Supreme Court Reports
• United States Code
• United States Government Manual
• United States Industrial Outlook
• Weekly Compilation of Presidential
Documents

9. History of Univ of Maine and Tri-State
• Regional/Selective libraries
• Twenty-six libraries in ME, NH, VT that participate in FDLP
• UMaine is not oldest in the state: Colby, Bates, Bowdoin,
Portland Public Library, Bangor Public Library 1884
• UMaine beginnings 1890
• 1907 Land Grant
• 1962 regional
• 1966 Tri-State regional

10. Presque Isle
Bangor Uniiv Maine
Maine Maritime
Univ Vermont Colby
Johnson
Bates State Law
Middlebury VT State Lib
Norwich VT Law School Bowdoin
Dartmouth U Maine Law, Portland Public
Castleton
UNH, SNHU, St. Anselm,
Manchester City, Nashua
Public,
NH State Library,
NH State Law,
UNH Law School

11. In Maine Libraries
• URSUS records for all new items http://ursus.maine.edu/
• URSUS/MaineCat links to online resources through 856 field
• 2.2 million items in UMaine collection
• UMaine retain everything call for pre-1976 items spotty in URSUS
• Others 5 years and limited selection
• Listings for UMaine,UMLaw, Bangor Public Library, Maine Law Legislative
Reference Library, UMaine Presque Isle in URSUS
• MaineInfoNet: Portland Public Library, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Maine Maritime
Academy
• Limit in URSUS to gov docs, gov docs serial, gov docs maps, gov doc computer
• Can request items through URSUS/Minerva/MaineInfoNet
• Can request items through traditional ILL, OCLC, Docline

12. SuDoc Numbers Overview
Doesn’t work the same as LC or Dewey
NA 1250
.A85
989.134 .R23
GP 1.2: IN 3/2 Keeping America Informed
Arranged by Dept/sub dept/bureau and type information

13. SuDoc Class Stems aka Depts
SuDoc Class Deptarment
A Agriculture
 GP 1.2: IN 3/2 Keeping
AE National America Informed
Archives
 Currently 59 Class
&Records
Stems
Admin
 Numbers after the initial
B Broadcasting
Department designation
Board of
Governors
refer to the sub
departments, cabinets,
C Commerce
offices, etc. These are
CC Federal arranged 1-x
Communicatio alphabetically by the
ns Commission name of the office at
D Defense the time of creation
E Energy
ED Education

14. SuDoc Subordinate Structure
.5 Laws
Numbers after decimal .6 Regulations, rules, and
indicate the following: instructions
.7 Press releases
.8 Handbooks, manuals,
.1 Annual Reports and guides
.2 General Publications .9 Bibliographies and lists
.3 Bulletins of publications
.4 Circulars .10 Directories
.11 Maps and charts
.12 Posters
.13 Forms
.14 Addresses

15. Government Web Sites
USA.Gov
http://www.usa.gov/
FDSys
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
Census - American Fact Finder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
Browse Topics: Your Pathway to Government
http://www.browsetopics.gov/
Digitization Projects Registry
http://registry.fdlp.gov/
Ben's Guide
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/

16. Our web pages
Web page
http://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/default.htm
Other documents links
http://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/onlinegov.htm
Canadian
http://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/canadiandocs.htm
United Nations
http://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/unitednations.htm
Agricultural Experiment Station
http://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/AgExpStation.htm
Other depts
Patents (Science & Engineering)
Maine docs (Special Collections)

17. Service Hours at Orono
Hours during academic semester
Mon - Thur 8am - 9pm
Fri 8am - 5pm
Sat 10am - 5pm
Sun 12:30pm - 9pm

18. Future
• Continue with born-digital of government information
FDSys
• Increase amount of historical material digitized through
partnerships such as the Registry
• Discussion of reorganizing the regional/selective program
in the age of digital
• Funding for the GPO
• Nationally some libraries are leaving--two regionals, but in
region all current libraries plan to stay in program. Many
are moving to electronic selection.
• Maine State Plan for Government Information
Does anyone want to join?

19. More Info
• Fogler Government Info pages
http://library.umaine.edu/govdoc/default.htm
• Tri-State Web Site
https://sites.google.com/a/maine.edu/tri-
state-libraries/home
• FDLP Desktop
http://www.fdlp.gov
• Slideshare of this presentation
http://www.slideshare.net/gmalbc

20. Questions?
gregory.t.curtis@maine.edu
Office: (207) 581-1681
Dept: (207) 581-1680
Twitter: @gmalbc
Tumblr: gmalbc.tumblr.com