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Government documents are received in paper, microfiche, video, electronic (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD) and increasingly through online access (e.g. URLs, PURLs) format. Most tangible documents circulate. Documents labeled or stamped with "US DOCS REF," "DO NOT CIRCULATE," or "LIBRARY USE ONLY" cannot be charged out. Anyone, whether associated with Drew or not, can charge out circulating U.S. government documents.
Reference assistance is available for accessing U.S. Government Documents. Contact Beth Patterson (epatters@drew.edu; 973 408-3480) or ask for help at the Reference Desk.
Using the Collection
Locating older documents:
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- The following indexes and databases are good starting points:
- The Drew Library Catalog contains entries for most documents received by Drew since January 1990. Drew Library provides a shelf list of all government documents in the collection. This shelf list is located on A-level in the Rose portion of the library (map).
- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications indexes documents dating from 1976 to the present. The index links to some full text documents.
- Worldcat (accessed from Research Resources) includes entries from the Monthly Catalog since 1976. Searching is possible by keyword, personal or corporate author, title, report number or SuDoc #
- The print Monthly Catalog, and its predecessor volumes, indexes documents from 1789 to the present. The Monthly Catalog is located in compact shelving on A-level (Learning Center) under the following SuDoc numbers, GP 3.6: and GP 3.8:. The following resources, located on A-level (Rose) are also helpful in locating older government documents:
- US DOCS REF 015.73 P823d - A Descriptive Catalogue of Government Publications of the United States, Sept. 5 1774-March 4, 1881
- US DOCS REF 015.73 U58c - Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893.
- US DOCS REF 015.73 U.S. Subject Index - Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of the United States Government Publications, 1900-1971.
- US DOCS REF 015.73 L642c - Cumulative Index to United States Public Documents, 1789-1976.
- The Drew depository collection includes other indexes. Please check the library Catalog.
- Lexis-Nexis Congressional (accessed from Research Resources ) uses the CIS Index and contains many full text documents listed in the index. A print version of the CIS Index is located in the US DOCS REF section on A-level (Rose): US DOCS REF 328.7303 C749 as is its predecessor US DOCS REF 328.73 C749c US Serial Set Index (1789-1969).
- A print version of the ASI (American Statistical Index) can be found in the US DOCS REF section on A-level Rose: 016.3173 A512a
- Online access to selected older full text documents.
- FDsys, a free service of the US Government Printing Office, provides electronic access for many government documents.
- A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation, from the Library of Congress. Access to selected legislated 18th and 19th century documents.
- Finding Government Information provides links to archival and current government information hosted by Universities and other non-governmental entities.
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