Intro to Government Information Sources
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This document discusses government documents and information products. It provides an overview of what constitutes a government document, common questions they can answer, and key resources and databases for finding them. These include websites from federal agencies, statistics, laws and regulations from all levels of government. The document also describes the CyberCemetery, an archive of websites from defunct U.S. government agencies maintained by UNT Libraries to ensure permanent public access to government information.
Intro to Government Information Sources
- 1. W should you know? hat Starr Hoffman Head, Government Documents Dept. University of North Texas Libraries
- 4. Government Docs / Information Products • Created or compiled by government employees, at government expense, or as required by law Published or unpublished Restricted or publicly available Print or electronic • Different levels: Federal, State, or Local Government • Determine agency that might be involved • “Wha t g ro up wo uld g a the r o r ne e d this info rm a tio n? ”
- 5. Common questions answered with gov docs… I need to find the number of students graduating from public universities in Texas. I am looking for a report from the Securities and Exchange commission on the October 1987 market crash. My doctor wants me to eat more protein. What foods are high in protein? What industry employs the most people in my county? I want to see section 23-37 of the traffic law. (Ask to determine: local, state, federal?) Where can I find a form to get my name changed?
- 6. • Kids Count Data Book (Annie E. Casey Foundation) • http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/KIDSCOUNT.aspx • Health, United States (Health) • http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm • U.S. Census Bureau • http://www.census.gov/ • Statistical Abstract of the United States • http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ • American FactFinder • http://factfinder2.census.gov • Historical Statistics of the United States • http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html • County City Data Book • http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html • State and Metropolitan Area Data Book • http://www.census.gov/compendia/smadb/
- 7. • National Center for Educational Statistics • http://nces.ed.gov/ • Condition of Education • http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/ • Digest of Education Statistics • http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/ • Library Statistics Program • http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/
- 8. • Lexis Nexis Databases • Lexis Nexis Congressional • Co ng re s s io na l a nd s e ria l s e t d o c um e nts d a ting ba c k to the 1 7 0 0 ’s . • Lexis Nexis Statistical • Fe d e ra l, Sta te , a nd I rna tio na l s ta tis tic s . nte • Lexis Nexis State Capital • Sta te le g is la tiv e info rm a tio n, inc lud ing s ta te s ta tute s & bills . • CQ Press Databases • CQ Researcher • Unbia s e d re s e a rc h a rtic le s o n “ho t to p ic ” is s ue s , g re a t biblio g ra p hie s . • CQ W eekly • We e kly ne ws m a g a z ine a bo ut a c tivitie s in the U. S. Co ng re s s . • CQ Voting and Elections
- 9. • UNT Government Documents Collections • http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/digital-collections • CyberCemetery • CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports • Federal Newsmaps • Texas Laws & Resolutions • …and more! • Portal to Texas History • http://texashistory.unt.edu/ • photographs, documents, maps, & more! • “Primary Source Adventures” (elementary school) • Services for Educators • Handbook of Texas Online
- 10. • Roswell Report • Roswell Report: Case Closed (executive summary online ) • The Pentagon: The First Fifty Years • Managing Death Investigation • Drugs of Abuse (similar data online) • The FBI Laboratory • At Cold War’s End • Cloning Human Beings
- 11. http:/digital.library.unt.edu/ / explore/ collections/ GDCC/
- 12. • online archive of websites from U.S. government agencies or commissions that are no longer operating http:/digital.library.unt.edu/ / explore/ collections/ GDCC/
- 13. • provides permanent public access • archive of “dead” government information • one version, final “snapshot” of website before it’s taken offline • freely, globally available • 73 websites and growing • partnership between: • University of North Texas Libraries • U.S. Government Printing Office • National Archives and Records Administration
- 14. • Protect At-Risk Information: • 1990’s: U.S. government information moved online • much of it born-digital • often edited or removed without warning • Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) • administered by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) • mission: to p ro v id e fre e , p e rm a ne nt p ublic a c c e s s to g o ve rnm e nt info rm a tio n • online information complicates this mission • University of North Texas is a federal depository library
- 15. • web files (HTML, XML) • text documents (.txt, .pdf, .doc) • spreadsheets & statistics (.xls) • presentations (.ppt) • media files: • images & photographs (.jpg, .gif, .png, .tiff) • audio (.mp3) • video (.wm, .mov, .rp)
- 16. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/ http://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/GDC C/ •Starr Hoffman Head, Government Documents Dept. University of North Texas Libraries govinfo@unt.edu starr.hoffman@gmail.com http://geekyartistlibrarian.wordpress.com
Editor's Notes
- #14: online archive of websites from U.S. government agencies or commissions that are no longer operating “ snapshot” of each website as it existed before “pulling the plug” maintained by the University of North Texas Libraries freely accessible world-wide affiliated NARA archive (National Archives and Records Administration)