Government Government Documents Made Documents Made

Easy?Easy?Or Just Easier?Or Just Easier?

90% since 200090% since 2000 Retrospective Retrospective

conversion projectsconversion projects Search engines Search engines

often DO workoften DO work

Federal Documents on the Internet

Limitations to Search Limitations to Search EnginesEngines

Too Many HitsToo Many Hits•No subject headings or thesaurus terms•Overuse of common words•Antiquated terms in state law

Is it?Is it? Economic recovery act?Economic recovery act?

Economic stimulus package?Economic stimulus package?

Economic stimulus bill?Economic stimulus bill?

American Recovery and American Recovery and Assistance ActAssistance Act

Documents Question Documents Question CluesClues

•Legal Material•Statistics•Government Official or Agency Mentioned in Question•Obvious government publication

(e.g. Duelfer or 9/11 Commission report)• Expert on the subject is a government employee (not always obvious)

Expert on Subject?Expert on Subject?

Some are obvious- State Dept. for passports- INS for naturalization - Census Bureau for Census

Some are unclear, e.g. baby cribs- Consumer Reports (commercial)- Consumer Product Safety Commission (government)

Secret TechniquesSecret TechniquesBrowse Agency likely to publish the information

Use specialized indexes for that level of government (e.g. USA.gov)

Specialized free databases for each level of government

Documents Center web site

Many places for help

HandoutsHandouts

Key Government Document Key Government Document Reference ToolsReference Tools

Statistical Reference ToolsStatistical Reference Tools

UMich Documents SiteUMich Documents Sitehttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs

Federal Web PagesFederal Web Pageshttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/federal.html

Google’s Uncle SamGoogle’s Uncle Samhttp://www.google.com/unclesam

Results ranked with most important at topAdvanced search link from main screen – can change

domain

USA.govUSA.govhttp://www.usa.gov/

Must do simple search before advanced search

Narrow search down by topics and agencies

USA.govUSA.govhttp://www.usa.gov/

Use for browsing agency names

Federal Web PagesFederal Web Pageshttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/federal.html

Several Docs web portals consist of several pages

Cumulative frames index for section

Hathi TrustHathi Trusthttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/federal.html

First source for retrospective digitized documents

Hathi TrustHathi Trusthttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/federal.html

Use pdf version to download 10 pages at a time

Legislative BranchLegislative Branchhttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/fedlegis.html

Thomas for BillsThomas for Billshttp://thomas.loc.gov/

Thomas for BillsThomas for Billshttp://thomas.loc.gov/

Hearings via GPO’s FDSysHearings via GPO’s FDSyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/advanced/advsearchpage.action

Hearings via GPO’s FDSysHearings via GPO’s FDSyshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/advanced/advsearchpage.action

Laws and Laws and RegulationsRegulations

Michigan PagesMichigan Pageshttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/mich.html

Includes specialized Google index and links to local governments

Other StatesOther Stateshttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/state.html

Links to state laws and regulations, comparative state laws, tax forms, governors

International International AgenciesAgencies

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/intl.htmlSpecial IGO and NGO indexes across agenciesLarge number of United Nations documents are free

Foreign Foreign GovernmentsGovernments

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/foreign.html

Individual Foreign Individual Foreign CountriesCountries

http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreigngovt.htm

StatisticsStatisticshttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html

Historic Census Historic Census PublicationsPublications

http://guides.lib.umich.edu/content.php?pid=37625&sid=276640

News ItemsNews Items

America’s War Against Terrorismhttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/usterror.html

Iraq War Debatehttp://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/iraqwar.html

Elections 2008

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/elec2008.html

Getting HelpGetting HelpUniversity of Michigan Documents Center

(734) 764-0410 (M-F, 1-4) govdocs@umich.edu (most of the time)Library of Michigan (517) 373-1300 (517) 373-1300 http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-

17445_19270---,00.htmlGovernment Information Online http://131.193.153.128/Federal Depository Library for the Area http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/FDLPdir.jsp

Problems with Current Problems with Current SiteSite

Known better outside the University

Old-fashioned graphics

Labor intensive – hard to keep updated

Future after Grace retires

Future PlansFuture Plans Content management system and

database by August 3, 2009 Advantages: search results

integrated with main library web page and easier to update URLs

Possible disadvantages: difficulty browsing and loss of incompatible formats (e.g. tables)

Hedge: backup DVD of current site and old/new URL equivalent tables

Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center, University of Michigan Librarygraceyor@umich.edu(734) 936-2378

Michigan Library Association I-Trends SeminarJune 26 2009

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~graceyor/doctemp/mladocs.ppt