1.
Government Information and YOU!
Image from The Most Famous Poster, American Treasures of the Library of
Congress http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html
UCLA Library

2.
Federal, State, Local, International,
Foreign, and NGOs in all formats!

3.
Government Information is part of
our daily lives…
©
®
TM

4.
Government Information
is part of our daily lives…

5.
Key Characteristics…
• Primary sources
• Authoritative sources
• Legal requirements for authenticity and
accuracy
• Usually copyright and cost free
• Covers every discipline and subject
• Major source of research grant funding and
research output
• Encourages civic participation (lifelong
learning)

6.
Government Information can answer
almost anything…
• How many El Salvadorans live in LosHow many El Salvadorans live in Los
Angeles?Angeles?
• Is my drinking water safe?Is my drinking water safe?
• What is the fine for talking on a cell phoneWhat is the fine for talking on a cell phone
in my car?in my car?
• What are Cap-and-trade systems;What are Cap-and-trade systems; areare
they really going to help thethey really going to help the
environment?environment?
• I want to explore the Cinderella
themes in Dorothy Edwards short
stories.

7.
Formal Definitions…
44 USC § 1901
“Government publication” as used in
this chapter, means informational
matter which is published as an
individual document at
Government expense, or as
required by law.”

8.
44 USC § 3301
“records” includes all books, papers,
maps, photographs, machine
readable materials, or other
documentary materials, regardless
of physical format or
characteristics, made or received
by an agency of the United States
Government under Federal law or
in connection with the transaction
of public business…

9.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, generally
provides any person with the statutory
right, enforceable in court, to obtain
access to Government information in
executive branch agency records. This
right to access is limited when such
information is protected from disclosure
by one of FOIA's nine statutory
exemptions.
• http://www.archives.gov/foia/

10.
Short exercise
• Google and USA.gov: foia reading
room
St. Valentine's Day Massacre

11.
“That’s Classified Information”
• Executive Order 13526
Short exercise:
Find EO 13526
How long is can material be
classified?

12.
4 Approaches to Finding Gov Info
• Known title
• Subject
• Agency
• Special Technique

13.
The Government Information Forest
Legislation: Bills, Acts,
Hearings, Debates Laws: Statutes, Codes,
Court decisions
Regulations: Federal Register,
Code of Federal Regulations(CFR)
Executive Branch: Executive
Orders, Proclamations, Speeches
Agencies: Dept. of Homeland
Security, Dept. of Public Social
Services, Social Security Admin.
Maps: CIA, topographic,
geologic, land use

14.
The Government Information Forest
Government Officials: Barbara
Boxer, Mukasey, Paulsen
Statistics: Census, Statistical
Abstract, Construction Starts
Obvious Publication: 9-11 Report,
Starr Report, Governor’s Budget
Technical Reports: DOE,
EPA, NASA,
Research/Investigations:
NIH, Criminal Justice, FDA

15.
Government Information and
Newspapers

16.
• 1813 [3 Stat. 140] Copies of
Senate/House Journals,
Congressional materials to be
deposited to libraries
• 1860 Title 44 and GPO
• 1895 Office of the Superintendent
of Documents
• 1962 Depository Library Act
• 1996

17.
Federal Depository Library Program
• Title 44 USC Sec. 1901-1916
• Administered by GPO
• Collections and Services
– FDLP Desktop
– GPO Access

18.
Follow the depository bird!
Government Information @ UCLA

19.
UCLA Library Government
Information Specialists
are here to help!
• Federal: Maria Jankowska, Kris
Kasianovitz
• State, Local, Canadian,NGOs:
Kris Kasianovitz
• International: Joseph Yue
• British: Maria Jankowska
• Foreign: Area Studies Librarians