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An Overview of U.S.
Government Information
in Maag Library Youngstown State
University
A Federal Depository Library since 1973 |
|
An Overview of U.S.
Government Information
in Maag Library Youngstown State
University
A Federal Depository Library since 1973 |
 Welcome
to the world of government documents! Government publications can be a
valuable resource for papers and research projects. They are timely, authoritative,
and diverse--covering topics from business, energy, drug abuse, education
and civil rights, to many other political, scientific, and social areas
of study. Documents are published in ALL shapes and sizes as well as in
a variety of formats--print, microfiche and electronic (CD-ROM and Internet).
About the CollectionA selective depository for federal documents since 1973, Maag Library currently receives about 48% of the publications available through the Federal Depository Library Program. Documents are selected which support YSU’s curricula, research, and programs as well as documents of general interest to residents of the 17th Congressional District. Documents from the following departments
and/or agencies are collected most heavily:
Our collection is located on the sixth floor and consists of over 300,000 documents in print, microfiche or CD-ROM. Maag Library is also a depository for selected Ohio documents. Public access is available to the latest information on the Internet such as federal regulations and census data. Get acquainted with the Government Documents
floor by taking a look at our Virtual
Tour.
Finding older documents (those published prior to 1976) involves using print indexes such as the Monthly Catalog. Our print holdings begin with 1948. The Monthly Catalog is shelved in the Historical Research section of Government Documents. This section is located after the Hearings (Y 4's). The Monthly Catalog is also available in two electronic versions:
Finding Documents on the Shelf
Helpful overviews of the SuDoc system:
An actual SuDoc number may look something like this: L 2.44:46/3 L = Department of Labor L 2. = Bureau of Labor Statistics L 2.44: = Compensation and Working Conditions L 2.44:46/3 = Volume 46, issue no.
3 of
Compensation and Working Conditions, a series
Resource lists for agency designations: When using MaagNet, government documents in print are identified by the notation Govt Docs. Microfiche documents are identified by the term Micro Docs. Examples:Govt Docs J 29.9/2:993 Criminal
Victimization in the United States 1993
Micro Docs A 93.21:1848 Estimating
the Opportunity Cost of Unpaid Farm Labor
Many full-text documents are now published only on the internet. MaagNet is always the best place to start your search as it will lead you to documents in all formats, including CD-ROM's as well as the internet. Shown below in an example of a title that is full-text on the web. Federal
Death Penalty cases: recommendations concerning the cost and quality of
defense representation.
Maag Library receives a variety of publications from state agencies such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. All of these documents are shelved at the very beginning of the collection on the 6th floor. Ohio documents use a classification system beginning with O. For example, OH is the designation for the Ohio Department of Health; OHS is Ohio Department of Human Services. Many, but not all, Ohio documents are cataloged and can be found by searching MaagNet. Most Ohio agencies are also publishing documents full-text on their websites. For more information, consult Finding Ohio Documents. Another helpful source is the Cumulative List of Ohio Publications issued by the Documents Department of the State Library. A good place to begin is with the listing of departments and agencies on the State of Ohio web site.
The collection is open for use during all Maag Library hours which includes Saturdays from 9:00 - 5:00 and Sundays from 1:00 - 9:00 during the regular academic sessions. For current information regarding hours, see Maag's hours. The documents librarian is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 - 5:00. Contact Jan Schnall (330-742-3126) for more information. The collection is open for use by all residents of the 17th Congressional District, but borrowing material is limited to patrons who qualify for a library card or a Friends of Maag Library card. Reference materials, such as Census data, must be used in the library. The circulation policy of the Government Documents department reflects the general circulation policies of Maag Library. Visit the Documents Collection on the sixth floor of Maag Library. For further information call (330) 742-3126 or email the Documents Librarian. Maag Library Home | Need Help? | Info and Services | Site Index | YSU Home | Top of Page January 2001
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