Brief Guide to Government Documents
Introduction | Superintendent of Documents Classification System | Level 3 Government Documents Stacks | Special Level 3 Locations of Frequently Used Government Documents
INTRODUCTION
The United States Government is the nation's largest publisher. A large number of these publications, often referred to as "government documents" are available in libraries that have been designated as government document depositories under Title 44 of the U.S. Code. UM-St. Louis was designated as a depository site in 1966. The Libraries currently receive about 92% of the documents available for distribution through the depository program.
Generally, government documents in the Thomas Jefferson Library are housed seperately from the regular book and journal collections. The vast majority are housed on Level 2 in the large room in the southeast corner. A few government-published periodicals are located with the regular journal collection materials on Level 5. A small number of federal tax publications are located in a special TAX AREA on Level 2.
All documents issued by the U.S. Department of Education (SUDOC class "ED") are housed in the Ward E. Barnes Library on South Campus.
Records for many documents published since 1991 may be located by using the Library Catalog. Records are items published from 1976 to the present may also be identified by using electronic databases available in the Library Research Commons or via remote access. The following may all be searched by author, title, subject, or issuing agency:
GPO Access Monthly Catalog:http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html
Library Catalog (via the Libraries' Home Page):
http://www.umsl.edu/services/library/
Older government documents may be identified using the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Publications. This set it located in the northwest corner on Level 3.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
In the Thomas Jefferson Library, Superintendent of Documents classification (SUDOC) numbers are used to locate most government documents. The system is used to shelve the documents by the issuing agency. The organizational structure of the United States Government is followed - that is, subordinate divisions and bureaus are grouped with that parent agency or department. Each parent department is assigned a letter symbol, such as:
- A -- Agriculture Department
- C -- Commerce Department
- HE -- Health and Human Services
- J -- Justice Department
- SBA -- Small Business Administration
- Y -- Congress
A strict number sequence is used in the SUDOC scheme; they are arranged by whole numbers, not decimals.
Example: "J 1.8" will be shelved before "J 1.14"
Some documents are shelved in special locations because of subject matter. Census materials are shelved at the beginning of the government documents collection on Level 3. Various documents and guides relating to federal laws are shelved in the REF LAW section of Level 3.
Please Remember: the majority of government documents shelved in the Thomas Jefferson Library are located on Level 2 in the southeast corner. If you have difficulty finding an item, please see a Reference Librarian.
LEVEL 3 GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS STACKS
SUDOC classifications and some specific items which are housed in the northwest corner of Level 3 include:
All AE's - except*
AE 2.106: Federal Register
AE 2.106/2: List of CFR Sections Affected
AE 2.106/3: Code of Federal Regulations
AE 2.110: Public (slip) Laws
AE 2.111: United States Statutes at Large
D 2.8: and D 2.14: Pocket Guide for Countries
D 101.22:550 - Area Handbooks/Country Studies
GP 3.8: Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
GP 3.22/2: Subject Bibliographies
HE 20.6210: Vital Statistics of the United States
(older volumes under previous SUDOC numbers also shelved here.)
HE 20.6223: Health United States
(older volumes under previous SUDOC numbers also shelved here.)
All J's
PrEx 2.8 through PrEx 2.8/10 - U.S. Budget Materials
All SBA's
* These items are shelved on the REF LAW shelves.
SPECIAL LEVEL 3 LOCATIONS OF FREQUENTLY USED GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
PrEx 2.20
REF RESERVE #126
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
AE 2.1016/3
REF LAW
County and City Data Book
C 3.134/2:C88/2/yr
REF Desk
Constitution of the United States
Y 1.1/3:
REF LAW
Crime in the U.S. (Uniform Crime Report)
J 1.14/7
REF Desk
Dictionary of Occupational Titles
L 37.2:Oc1/2/yr
Career Bookcase
Digest of Public Bills and Resolutions
LC 14.6:
Level 3, NW Corner
Economic Report of the President
PR..(varies by president)
New Ed. at REF DESK
Federal Register (& index)
AE 2/106:
REF LAW (6 mo.)
Federal Register: What it is and ...
AE 2.108:F31
REF LAW
List of CFR Sections Affected
AE 2.106/2:
REF LAW
Major Legislation of Congress
LC 14.18
REF LAW
North American Industrial Classification Systems Manual (NAICS)
PrEx 2.6/2:In27/997
REF Desk
Numerical List and Schedule of Volumes
(shelved with Z 1223 .Z9 C65)
GP 3.7/2
REF Bookcase #22
Occupational Outlook Handbook
L 2.3/4:
REF RESERVE #483
Official Reports of the Supreme Court
Ju 6.8/a
REF LAW
Public Laws (slip laws)
AE 2/110:
REF LAW
Standard Industrial Classification Manual (SIC)
PrEx 2.6.2:In27
REF LAW
Serial Set Catalog
(shelved with Z 1223 .Z9 C65)
GP 3.34
REF Bookcase #22
Statistical Abstract of the United States
(older editions in Docs. Stacks, Level 3)
C 3.134:
REF Desk,
REF RESERVE #263
Subject Bibliographies
GP 3.22/2:
Level 3, NW Corner
Supreme Court Decisions (Slip opinions)
Ju 6.8/b:
REF LAW
United States Code
Y 1.2/5:
REF LAW
United States Reports
Ju 6.8:
REF LAW
United States Statutes at Large
(1790-1963 on microfiche, ask at REF Desk)
AE 2/11
REF LAW