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

Friday Forum, Feb. 2, 2011

Workshop Guide

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

Government Information is part of our daily lives…

© ® TM

Government Information is part of our daily lives…

Government Information can answer almost anything…

• How many El Salvadorans live in Los Angeles?

• Is my drinking water safe?• What is the fine for talking on a cell

phone in my car?• How many prison inmates have a

college degree or higher?• I want to explore Cinderella themes

in Dorothy Edwards short stories.

Government Information and Newspapers

• 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 • http://smu.edu/cul/gir/background/fdlp.html

Federal Depository Library Program

• Title 44 USC Sec. 1901-1916

• Administered by GPO

• Collections and Services– FDLP Desktop– GPO Access soon to be FDSys

Formal Definitions…

1997 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.”

Kris K. Characteristics of Governments

• They are big bureaucracies• They have structure• The structure often changes over time• They provide services and societal

structure• They collect and produce information,

usually legally required

(some) Kris K.Characteristics of Government Information

• Standard publication types: annual reports, bulletins, series, statistical yearbooks, etc.

• Publication types follow the government structure• It is important to understand who is responsible for

what• Publication output can be from a process (Legislation)

or survey/data collection method• Secondary sources or guides are necessary

understanding how government information is collected and disseminated

• READing is a must

(some more) Characteristics

• Primary sources• Authoritative sources• Authentic and Accurate (legally

required)• Usually copyright and cost free• Multidisciplinary• Output or result of major source of

grant-funded research • Encourage civic participation (lifelong

learning)

1997 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…

Exercise: Government Structure

USA.gov vs.

US Government Manual via FDSys

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

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

Exercise

Identifying publication types

Reference Interview is Key

• Time period• Geography• Topic or thesis (what question are

you trying to answer?)• Key events, policies, etc.• Copy of an assignment

Reference Interview – map what the user gives you to these concepts

• Jurisdiction – is it Federal, State, Local, International, Foreign issue? Executive, Legislative, or Judicial branch?

• What agency is responsible for this issue or topic? Who are the other players and stakeholders (which may not be governmental)

• Is there a specific publication or publication type that answers this? (e.g. Green Book or EIS)

• Is this a policy, regulatory or legal question?• Is it statistical in nature?

5 Approaches to Finding Gov Info

• Known item• Subject

• Agency• Special Technique

• Contact an Individual

Exercises:

1. Reference Interview 2. Dissecting a news article

Catalogs

GPO Access

FDSys is replacing GPO Access

USA.gov and other Search Engines

Exercise

Using the Resources

Special Techniques

Exercise

Bill TracingOr

Demographic Profiles

Exercise

Putting it all together:Perchlorate in our Drinking

Water

If there is time…

Freedom of Information Act

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/

Short exercise

Use Google and USA.gov

Search for the FBI FOIA reading room to find documents related to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Trivia Question!

Who is excluded from FOIA?

Thank You!

Kris Kasianovitzkrisk@library.ucla.edu

@uclagovinfolib