The Tools
A basic level of understanding about key terms,
abbreviations, resources, and government publications is needed to be successful in this project. This section
lists common resources someone will encounter through the
search process of this project.
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (MoCat) The first MoCat was printed in 1885. The MoCat is an item list that provides a short description of all of the items published by the United States Government in a given month. See Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the Appendix for examples of pages from the August 1955 print edition of the MoCat. Many academic institutions that became FDLs early on have retained the monthly print editions. The University of Washington has a set in the reference section of the government publications department, as well as a set in the Gallagher Law Library in the reference collection. Both sets are nearly complete. The MoCat is no longer published by GPO because of the development of digital records and the information is now located in the CGP. If your library does not have access to the print documents, they might subscribe to the ProQuest product, Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1895 – 1976. This database provides full text search of the listings, as well as scanned images of the actual pages in the print edition. The service dates through 1976 because this is the year the first electronic records became available and widely used. The online MoCat is a valuable resource for searching; however there is a benefit to having print editions in the library. UW librarians used the print catalog as an item checklist. While the markings are not necessarily standard, the check marks do help identify items that were received by the library and should be somewhere in the collection. The markings in the UW collection can be seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4 in the Appendix. A check of markings from 1943, 1955, and 1960 showed that the markings remained similar; check mark for received, red x starting in 1955 to show receipt on microprint, as well as a check with a C in some editions, as seen in Figure 3. As a selective, not all items printed in the catalog were received by the library, thus the usefulness of markings next to items showing receipt through the FDLP at your institution.
It is beneficial to be familiar with the organization of the print MoCat editions or with searching the online resource. An understanding of how to read the entries and use references to find items in the stacks or online is important for successful searching. See Figure 6 in the Appendix for more information on reading a Print MoCat Entry.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) This is the online catalog administered by GPO. The catalog can be accessed from the GPO website: http://catalog.gpo.gov/ and is a database of the bibliographic records for resources identified in the FDLP and Cataloging and Indexing (C&I) programs that are located at FDLs across the United States. The tool is not a catalog that allows for retrieval and is not a repository of actual publications. The listings in the CGP direct searchers to the institutions that are known to have a document in their collection.
This catalog provides a variety of search options and it is the first resource to review when determining if an item is known to the GPO. GPO manages the CGP and records are updated based on the Internal Depository Distribution Information System (DDIS). The DDIS identifies which libraries receive which material. Libraries’ actual holdings are not entered into the CGP. When fugitives are found, GPO can create bibliographic records are developed using the evidence of a fax or scanned image of the document front matter supplied by an FDL. See Figure 5 in the Appendix for a screen shot of the CGP. You should familiarize yourself with the search features of this catalog. You will use it on a regular basis to check items you discover against the bibliographic records in this database. I recommend practicing with the advanced search feature. Search for SuDocs classes, keywords, and title fragments. Read the search hints at the bottom of the screen and become comfortable navigating the search interface, and the results. The Online Programming for All Libraries (OPAL) archive contains a video session on searching the CGP. The OPAL archive also contains several programs produced by GPO that provide relevant background information. The links to the recordings are available in the resources section of this document.
Microforms
Microforms include microprint, microfiche, and microfilm. The format was believed to be a wonderful space savings measure and a way to eliminate paper collections. Many government documents within academic collections are only available in microform at FDLs. Some collections, such as the collection housed within Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington, are cataloged and can be found through online catalog searches. Other areas of the collection, such as in the Engineering Library, hold well over a million documents in this format, and they do not have digital catalog records, and so are not easily identified through online search discovery. If you are unfamiliar with this format, an online search for information about the form, as well as a visit to the stacks to view the materials and a tutorial from library staff on machine use would be helpful before starting this project.
Most libraries that have these formats also have specialized readers to view the documents. For the microcard format (Figure 7) a reader such as the Universal MicroCard Reader (Figure 8) can be used to view the material on the card. These cards can also be read in a digital microform scanner, which allows users to print and scan to .pdf or .jpg. The digital scanners at the University of Washington are best used with the microfiche format because the trays are sized for them. While these scanners can read the microcards, maneuvering the tray to view the image can be a time consuming and frustrating process. Loading microtape can also be a time consuming process and may require instruction from reference staff. UW Libraries also has microfiche readers (Fig 10) to view the fiche, and viewers that allow users to print to paper. Microfiche tape is another format that requires specialized viewers, and can also be used with a digital scanner with much patience and effort. If working with these formats, it is recommended to become familiar with the tools used to view them, their location in the institutions’ collection, cataloged and access methods, and provenance of the material.
United States Congressional Serial Set (Serial Set)
The Serial Set contains the house and senate reports for the United States Government. A description of the Serial Set pulled from Library of Congress American Memory website explains:
“The United States Congressional Serial Set, commonly referred to as the Serial Set, began publication with the 15th Congress, 1st Session (1817). The documents include all other papers ordered printed by the House or Senate. Documents cover a wide variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations made for Congress, and annual reports of non-governmental organizations. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, executive-branch materials were also published in the Serial Set.
The serial number is a unique number applied to each book in the series of congressional publications running consecutively from the 15th Congress. The serial number may be useful for locating items, but not for citation. The documents and reports series have three numbers:
· an individual report or document-publication number,
· a volume number of each series for each session of Congress, and
· the serial number.” (Library of Congress)
The Serial Set is not an unknown item to the GPO, rather, it is considered a very important section of U.S. Government publications collections. Parts of the set are available through a few commercial vendors, FDSys, and many FDLs maintain partial sets of the print editions as part of the legacy collection. The material on FDSys dates back to about 1994. The ReadEx U.S. Congressional Serial Set online includes material from 1817-1980. A complete physical Serial Set is rare because it dates back to 1817 and if early materials are held, they tend to be in fragile condition and not available on open shelves.
While the focus of a research project will be finding unknown documents, it is important to know what is known and what are the foundational documents included in a U.S. Government publications collection. Another point to consider is that you may discover individual documents among the collection that were acquired outside of the FDLP, but were included in the congressional set. You may want to familiarize yourself with searching the set through FDSys or commercial vendors such as ReadEx and Hein Online (if your library subscribes to these).
FDLP Desktop
This is a Government Printing Office maintained web portal for FDL coordinators with some portions accessible to the public. The desktop is a vital informational resource for documents librarians. While accessing enhanced features requires a log-in, the publicly accessible information is quite useful for background research purposes. Through the desktop one can find information about collection management, depository administration, news and updates, and numerous resources related to government publications and document collections. It is helpful to become familiar with the site and resources available to gain insight to the management of documents collections and instructions for depository librarians. The link is available in the resources section of this document.
FDSYs and GPO Access
This is an online portal that provides access to the CGP, as well as links to GPO publications and links to government information. FDSys stands for “Federal Digital System”. The site provides access to digital versions of many government publications, including the US Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and the Federal Register. This is a most valuable resource for browsing database records to determine if items found in academic institution collections are listed in the database and known to GPO. The archive of OPAL sessions provides some helpful sessions that are worth reviewing for instruction on navigating this resource. The link to the OPAL archive is found in the resource section of this document.
Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDocs)
The standard classification scheme for government publications is the Superintendent of Documents classification (SuDocs). The scheme was developed by Adelaide Hasse over the course of several years, beginning with the publication of her Checklist of Agriculture Department Publications in 1896 while working at the Los Angeles Public Library. There is little documentation other than this first checklist to explain the method behind the scheme. The system for her agriculture checklist was an agency classification followed by subdivided series numbers. (Beck 25) There are several online resources available to help better understand the system. It is necessary for anyone researching government documents collection to understand the SuDocs system enough to know how to search the stacks, how to look up what the stems refer to, and to recognize the difference between SuDocs, LC, and Dewey classification systems. This is a list of helpful resources to provide some context on SuDocs classification and government documents in general. This list is by no means exhaustive:
· Forte, Eric; Hartnett, Cass; Sevetson, Andrea. Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources (2011) Neal-Schuman Publishers (April 30, 2011)
This text provides an overview of government information. It was created as a textbook for government publications classes in Library and Information Science programs. The text provides a helpful overview of the material encountered searching U.S. Government publications and is a good start in beginning to understand government information in general.
· FDLP Desktop. Understanding the Superintendent of Documents Classification System. http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/explain.html
This is a handbook created by GPO to give an overview to government documents librarians in SuDocs classification and how to understand the structure. The classification scheme is not intuitive. Use this guide for a concise resource to gain understanding of the system.
· Beck, Clare. The New Woman as Librarian: The Career of Adelaide Hasse. Scarecrow Press, Inc. 2006
This is a biography on Adelaide Hasse. While the text focuses on her entire career, it does provide some insight into her methods for developing the SuDocs system. It’s an interesting read and provides some insight into the history of the SuDocs system and into the life of a fascinating government documents librarian.
· Batten, Donna (ed.) Guide to U.S. Government Publications (2011) v. 1-3. Gale Cenage Learning
This is an index of all of the SuDocs classes, listed in alphabetical order by class with descriptions of the agency to which the class number refers. This is a very useful guide in checking the numbers to understand which agency the material came from. Each entry provides date ranges for and a description of the agency and lists all of the divisions under the stem. This is a three volume set updated annually and it is usually found in the reference section of an institutions government documents department (or in general reference if the institution does not have a government publications section).
Selective and Regional Depositories (FDLs)
As was mentioned earlier in this report, in 1923 FDLs could become selective depositories. The selective designation allowed a library to choose classes of material received, while regional depositories receive all material distributed through the FDLP. Most of the current 1,220 FDLs are selective and focus their collection choices on materials deemed relevant to their user base. Documents librarians select classes of items from a selection list on an annual basis and are shipped items within that class based on the selections made. Shipments are sent to each library at least weekly from GPO. Regional depositories receive all tangible publications distributed through the program. For information on collection development methods go to the FDLP Desktop: http://www.fdlp.gov/collections/building-collections. For information on selection profiles, go here: http://www.fdlp.gov/collections/selection.
While you would need a user account to access specific parts of the desktop dealing with marketing material, most information is publicly accessible that will provide you with the necessary background to understand collection selection and administration.
Marcive enhanced GPO Database Service
Marcive, Inc. is a private company that provides services for processing FDLP materials to FDLs. GPO creates bibliographic records for items and pushes them to some libraries about once a month, but with weekly shipments of items, some libraries prefer to subscribe to the services from Marcive, Inc. These services include the GPO Database Service, which provides retroactive cataloging and monthly pushes of records ready to upload to library catalogs based on item number profiles. The shipping list services provides brief MARC format records, which are temporary records loaded into ILS systems to push items into circulation on a faster schedule as a temporary holder that is overloaded with the monthly push of full bibliographic records. Marcive, Inc. provides value added services to libraries that pay for their services. Marcive Inc. can create batch records tailored to the library’s specifications.
The Catalog Record Distribution Project (CRDP) is the pilot cataloging service provided by GPO. GPO conforms to Resource Description and Access (RDA) and Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) standards, in preparation for development of next generation catalogs. FRBR instructs the creation of one catalog record for each form of an item. There will be one record for the print edition and one for the electronic format. The Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL) will only be included in the electronic record. For more information on these standards see separate catalog record approach and GPO’s stance on RDA available on the FDLP Desktop.
Another resource to check, if your library subscribes to it, is Marcive Web Docs. This is an online search database for records dating back to 1976. This is a service provided by Marcive, Inc and is another value added service. It may be helpful to examine the Marcive and CRDP websites to see what products are offered to libraries to better understand catalog records and methods.
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (MoCat) The first MoCat was printed in 1885. The MoCat is an item list that provides a short description of all of the items published by the United States Government in a given month. See Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the Appendix for examples of pages from the August 1955 print edition of the MoCat. Many academic institutions that became FDLs early on have retained the monthly print editions. The University of Washington has a set in the reference section of the government publications department, as well as a set in the Gallagher Law Library in the reference collection. Both sets are nearly complete. The MoCat is no longer published by GPO because of the development of digital records and the information is now located in the CGP. If your library does not have access to the print documents, they might subscribe to the ProQuest product, Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1895 – 1976. This database provides full text search of the listings, as well as scanned images of the actual pages in the print edition. The service dates through 1976 because this is the year the first electronic records became available and widely used. The online MoCat is a valuable resource for searching; however there is a benefit to having print editions in the library. UW librarians used the print catalog as an item checklist. While the markings are not necessarily standard, the check marks do help identify items that were received by the library and should be somewhere in the collection. The markings in the UW collection can be seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4 in the Appendix. A check of markings from 1943, 1955, and 1960 showed that the markings remained similar; check mark for received, red x starting in 1955 to show receipt on microprint, as well as a check with a C in some editions, as seen in Figure 3. As a selective, not all items printed in the catalog were received by the library, thus the usefulness of markings next to items showing receipt through the FDLP at your institution.
It is beneficial to be familiar with the organization of the print MoCat editions or with searching the online resource. An understanding of how to read the entries and use references to find items in the stacks or online is important for successful searching. See Figure 6 in the Appendix for more information on reading a Print MoCat Entry.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) This is the online catalog administered by GPO. The catalog can be accessed from the GPO website: http://catalog.gpo.gov/ and is a database of the bibliographic records for resources identified in the FDLP and Cataloging and Indexing (C&I) programs that are located at FDLs across the United States. The tool is not a catalog that allows for retrieval and is not a repository of actual publications. The listings in the CGP direct searchers to the institutions that are known to have a document in their collection.
This catalog provides a variety of search options and it is the first resource to review when determining if an item is known to the GPO. GPO manages the CGP and records are updated based on the Internal Depository Distribution Information System (DDIS). The DDIS identifies which libraries receive which material. Libraries’ actual holdings are not entered into the CGP. When fugitives are found, GPO can create bibliographic records are developed using the evidence of a fax or scanned image of the document front matter supplied by an FDL. See Figure 5 in the Appendix for a screen shot of the CGP. You should familiarize yourself with the search features of this catalog. You will use it on a regular basis to check items you discover against the bibliographic records in this database. I recommend practicing with the advanced search feature. Search for SuDocs classes, keywords, and title fragments. Read the search hints at the bottom of the screen and become comfortable navigating the search interface, and the results. The Online Programming for All Libraries (OPAL) archive contains a video session on searching the CGP. The OPAL archive also contains several programs produced by GPO that provide relevant background information. The links to the recordings are available in the resources section of this document.
Microforms
Microforms include microprint, microfiche, and microfilm. The format was believed to be a wonderful space savings measure and a way to eliminate paper collections. Many government documents within academic collections are only available in microform at FDLs. Some collections, such as the collection housed within Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington, are cataloged and can be found through online catalog searches. Other areas of the collection, such as in the Engineering Library, hold well over a million documents in this format, and they do not have digital catalog records, and so are not easily identified through online search discovery. If you are unfamiliar with this format, an online search for information about the form, as well as a visit to the stacks to view the materials and a tutorial from library staff on machine use would be helpful before starting this project.
Most libraries that have these formats also have specialized readers to view the documents. For the microcard format (Figure 7) a reader such as the Universal MicroCard Reader (Figure 8) can be used to view the material on the card. These cards can also be read in a digital microform scanner, which allows users to print and scan to .pdf or .jpg. The digital scanners at the University of Washington are best used with the microfiche format because the trays are sized for them. While these scanners can read the microcards, maneuvering the tray to view the image can be a time consuming and frustrating process. Loading microtape can also be a time consuming process and may require instruction from reference staff. UW Libraries also has microfiche readers (Fig 10) to view the fiche, and viewers that allow users to print to paper. Microfiche tape is another format that requires specialized viewers, and can also be used with a digital scanner with much patience and effort. If working with these formats, it is recommended to become familiar with the tools used to view them, their location in the institutions’ collection, cataloged and access methods, and provenance of the material.
United States Congressional Serial Set (Serial Set)
The Serial Set contains the house and senate reports for the United States Government. A description of the Serial Set pulled from Library of Congress American Memory website explains:
“The United States Congressional Serial Set, commonly referred to as the Serial Set, began publication with the 15th Congress, 1st Session (1817). The documents include all other papers ordered printed by the House or Senate. Documents cover a wide variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations made for Congress, and annual reports of non-governmental organizations. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, executive-branch materials were also published in the Serial Set.
The serial number is a unique number applied to each book in the series of congressional publications running consecutively from the 15th Congress. The serial number may be useful for locating items, but not for citation. The documents and reports series have three numbers:
· an individual report or document-publication number,
· a volume number of each series for each session of Congress, and
· the serial number.” (Library of Congress)
The Serial Set is not an unknown item to the GPO, rather, it is considered a very important section of U.S. Government publications collections. Parts of the set are available through a few commercial vendors, FDSys, and many FDLs maintain partial sets of the print editions as part of the legacy collection. The material on FDSys dates back to about 1994. The ReadEx U.S. Congressional Serial Set online includes material from 1817-1980. A complete physical Serial Set is rare because it dates back to 1817 and if early materials are held, they tend to be in fragile condition and not available on open shelves.
While the focus of a research project will be finding unknown documents, it is important to know what is known and what are the foundational documents included in a U.S. Government publications collection. Another point to consider is that you may discover individual documents among the collection that were acquired outside of the FDLP, but were included in the congressional set. You may want to familiarize yourself with searching the set through FDSys or commercial vendors such as ReadEx and Hein Online (if your library subscribes to these).
FDLP Desktop
This is a Government Printing Office maintained web portal for FDL coordinators with some portions accessible to the public. The desktop is a vital informational resource for documents librarians. While accessing enhanced features requires a log-in, the publicly accessible information is quite useful for background research purposes. Through the desktop one can find information about collection management, depository administration, news and updates, and numerous resources related to government publications and document collections. It is helpful to become familiar with the site and resources available to gain insight to the management of documents collections and instructions for depository librarians. The link is available in the resources section of this document.
FDSYs and GPO Access
This is an online portal that provides access to the CGP, as well as links to GPO publications and links to government information. FDSys stands for “Federal Digital System”. The site provides access to digital versions of many government publications, including the US Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and the Federal Register. This is a most valuable resource for browsing database records to determine if items found in academic institution collections are listed in the database and known to GPO. The archive of OPAL sessions provides some helpful sessions that are worth reviewing for instruction on navigating this resource. The link to the OPAL archive is found in the resource section of this document.
Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDocs)
The standard classification scheme for government publications is the Superintendent of Documents classification (SuDocs). The scheme was developed by Adelaide Hasse over the course of several years, beginning with the publication of her Checklist of Agriculture Department Publications in 1896 while working at the Los Angeles Public Library. There is little documentation other than this first checklist to explain the method behind the scheme. The system for her agriculture checklist was an agency classification followed by subdivided series numbers. (Beck 25) There are several online resources available to help better understand the system. It is necessary for anyone researching government documents collection to understand the SuDocs system enough to know how to search the stacks, how to look up what the stems refer to, and to recognize the difference between SuDocs, LC, and Dewey classification systems. This is a list of helpful resources to provide some context on SuDocs classification and government documents in general. This list is by no means exhaustive:
· Forte, Eric; Hartnett, Cass; Sevetson, Andrea. Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources (2011) Neal-Schuman Publishers (April 30, 2011)
This text provides an overview of government information. It was created as a textbook for government publications classes in Library and Information Science programs. The text provides a helpful overview of the material encountered searching U.S. Government publications and is a good start in beginning to understand government information in general.
· FDLP Desktop. Understanding the Superintendent of Documents Classification System. http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/explain.html
This is a handbook created by GPO to give an overview to government documents librarians in SuDocs classification and how to understand the structure. The classification scheme is not intuitive. Use this guide for a concise resource to gain understanding of the system.
· Beck, Clare. The New Woman as Librarian: The Career of Adelaide Hasse. Scarecrow Press, Inc. 2006
This is a biography on Adelaide Hasse. While the text focuses on her entire career, it does provide some insight into her methods for developing the SuDocs system. It’s an interesting read and provides some insight into the history of the SuDocs system and into the life of a fascinating government documents librarian.
· Batten, Donna (ed.) Guide to U.S. Government Publications (2011) v. 1-3. Gale Cenage Learning
This is an index of all of the SuDocs classes, listed in alphabetical order by class with descriptions of the agency to which the class number refers. This is a very useful guide in checking the numbers to understand which agency the material came from. Each entry provides date ranges for and a description of the agency and lists all of the divisions under the stem. This is a three volume set updated annually and it is usually found in the reference section of an institutions government documents department (or in general reference if the institution does not have a government publications section).
Selective and Regional Depositories (FDLs)
As was mentioned earlier in this report, in 1923 FDLs could become selective depositories. The selective designation allowed a library to choose classes of material received, while regional depositories receive all material distributed through the FDLP. Most of the current 1,220 FDLs are selective and focus their collection choices on materials deemed relevant to their user base. Documents librarians select classes of items from a selection list on an annual basis and are shipped items within that class based on the selections made. Shipments are sent to each library at least weekly from GPO. Regional depositories receive all tangible publications distributed through the program. For information on collection development methods go to the FDLP Desktop: http://www.fdlp.gov/collections/building-collections. For information on selection profiles, go here: http://www.fdlp.gov/collections/selection.
While you would need a user account to access specific parts of the desktop dealing with marketing material, most information is publicly accessible that will provide you with the necessary background to understand collection selection and administration.
Marcive enhanced GPO Database Service
Marcive, Inc. is a private company that provides services for processing FDLP materials to FDLs. GPO creates bibliographic records for items and pushes them to some libraries about once a month, but with weekly shipments of items, some libraries prefer to subscribe to the services from Marcive, Inc. These services include the GPO Database Service, which provides retroactive cataloging and monthly pushes of records ready to upload to library catalogs based on item number profiles. The shipping list services provides brief MARC format records, which are temporary records loaded into ILS systems to push items into circulation on a faster schedule as a temporary holder that is overloaded with the monthly push of full bibliographic records. Marcive, Inc. provides value added services to libraries that pay for their services. Marcive Inc. can create batch records tailored to the library’s specifications.
The Catalog Record Distribution Project (CRDP) is the pilot cataloging service provided by GPO. GPO conforms to Resource Description and Access (RDA) and Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) standards, in preparation for development of next generation catalogs. FRBR instructs the creation of one catalog record for each form of an item. There will be one record for the print edition and one for the electronic format. The Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL) will only be included in the electronic record. For more information on these standards see separate catalog record approach and GPO’s stance on RDA available on the FDLP Desktop.
Another resource to check, if your library subscribes to it, is Marcive Web Docs. This is an online search database for records dating back to 1976. This is a service provided by Marcive, Inc and is another value added service. It may be helpful to examine the Marcive and CRDP websites to see what products are offered to libraries to better understand catalog records and methods.