Central Library Jean & Alexander Heard Library Vanderbilt University

Government Information Services

Department Home Page

The Collections Access to Government Information Hours of Operation Location and Parking Identifying and Locating Materials Reference Service and Class Instruction Government Publications on the Web Circulation Contacting Government Information Services Staff


To connect to our site on links to government information,
click on http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/govt/index.html

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The Government Information Collections at Vanderbilt

Central Library has been a selective depository for U. S. federal government publications since 1884, a United Nations depository since 1946, and a Food and Agriculture Depository since 1948. The Central depository selects about 63 percent of the almost 6,000 categories (item numbers) offered by the U.S. Government Printing Office. The department has approximately 900,000 paper, microfiche and CD-ROM holdings.

Other government information is available at other Vanderbilt libraries. The Law Library was designated as a selective federal depository library in 1976. The Science and Engineering Library has been a Patent and Trademark depository since 1988.

The University of Memphis is the Regional Depository Library for the state. Tennessee depositories have a shared regional holdings arrangement. Each of the six largest depositories (of which we are one) is a "subregional" responsible for different classes of documents. Central Library has been designated to hold publications from these agencies: the President (all SuDocs PRs and PREXs), the State Department (all Ss), Patent and Trademark Office, Energy Research Abstracts, Foreign Trade Reports, and all Congressional documents (all Ys).


Access to Government Information

The public is welcome to use the federal depository collection of Government Information Services without charge. Visitors will be asked to fill out a short form so that we can demonstrate to the U.S. Government Printing Office that we are serving the public.


Hours of Operations and Reference Service

The Central Government Information Services (GIS) collection is available any hour the library is open. GIS provides assistance in locating and using government information during these hours:

During Fall and Spring Semesters, graduate students staff the GIS desk and provide help with basic questions so the hours are extended beyond the regular hours: Call us at 322-2838 to confirm current hours.

Location and Parking

Parking Garage - Paid parking is available directly across the street from the library - in the same building as Alpine Bagel Company and the CVS Pharmacy.

Street Parking - There are parking meters on 19th Avenue South (2-hour maximum) and in the lot next to the building (1/2 hour maximum), which also has longer-term parking for handicapped patrons. Please call us at 322-2838 for information about access to the collection by handicapped patrons.


Reference Service

Government Information Services maintains a separate reference desk to provide assistance with government information during all hours we are open. We have both printed and online reference sources - indexes, bibliographies, and statistical yearbooks, for example. We will help you use these sources to find information in publications that are not listed in our online catalog. If you need in-depth assistance, you can set up an appointment with one of our specialists. Our phone number is 322-2838. You can also send government document e-mail reference questions to: amy.stewart-mailhiot@vanderbilt.edu.

When the Government Information Services office is closed, the librarians at the main reference desk in lobby of the 4th (main) level may provide assistance.

If Vanderbilt does not have the government publications you need, we will be able to help you identify other libraries that may have them and help you make an Interlibrary Loan request.


Class Instruction

Government Information Services office has an active library instruction program. We provide groups of patrons (for example, the members of a particular class) with a demonstration of relevant online databases and print sources appropriate to their research needs. Please contact Larry Romans at 322-2838 to set up a session.


Identifying and Locating Materials

Almost all U.S. government publications published after 1976 are listed in Acorn, our online catalog; some earlier U.S. government publications are also listed, but many are not. The staff will be glad to assist you in finding government publications.

Food and Agriculture Organization publications and some United Nations publications are listed in Acorn. Ask us for help to find FAO, UN publications, and other international publications.


Government Publications on the Web

More and more government information is available on the Internet, and many publications are no longer available in printed form. A good beginning place for a search for government information online is Vanderbilt's Government Information web site at http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/govt/index.html.


Circulation

 Most government publications can be checked out for two weeks. Items are checked out from and returned to the main Circulation desk in the lobby. Fines and items should be dealt with through the Circulation desk.

These categories and locations of government publications do NOT circulate:




Staff

 Larry Romans is the Head of Government Information Services and Political Science Bibliographer. He was Chair (1999-2000) of the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) of the American Library Association (ALA) and received the CIS/GODORT/ALA "Documents to the People" Award in 1995. He began the GODORT Handout Exchange and is the Webmaster of the FDTF Frequently Used Sites web site. Romans has served on ALA Council since 1992. He will be a member of the ALA Executive Board, 2007-2010.
E-mail: larry.romans@vanderbilt.edu

Amy Stewart-Mailhiot is Head of Media Services and Government Information Librarian. She provides reference service and manages the office. She was Government Information Librarian at Nashville Public Library from 2001 to 2004.
E-mail: amy.stewart-mailhiot@vanderbilt.edu

Teri Bante is Library Assistant IV. She oversees the processing of incoming documents and media and she updates and corrects entries in Acorn, Vanderbilt's online catalog.
E-mail: teri.bante@vanderbilt.edu

Brian Boling is Library Assistant III. He processes incoming media and updates entries in Acorn, Vanderbilt's online catalog. He manages the video reserves.
E-mail: brian.boling@vanderbilt.edu

Federal Depository no. 580,
Central Library, Vanderbilt University
Larry Romans, Amy Stewart-Mailhiot, Teri Bante, and Brian Boling
(615)-322-2838
Send an e-mail to Larry Romans
Page created by Michael Moreland on January 11, 2002. Last updated February 14, 2007.

Gretchen Dodge, Manager of the Department, Dec. 30, 1985 - June 30, 2004

To connect to our site on links to government information,
click on http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/govt/index.html

To read an article about the department
click on http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/govt/people.html

Links to related Vanderbilt pages

Comparative Politics | Current News | European Studies | Government Information |
International Relations | Newspapers and Broadcast Media | Political Science | Public Policy Issues and Groups

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