U.S. Federal Government Documents A Step-by-step Guide

What are U.S. Government Documents?

How are U.S. Government Documents classified?

How do I find U.S. government documents?

They are publications produced by U.S. government agencies -- Government documents come in many formats, including books, journals, maps, posters, microfiche, CD-ROMs and computer databases. The Grinnell College Libraries have been a selective depository for U.S. Federal Government publications since 1874 ...

House Hearing [online]	Map, Forest Service

"Food Review" -- Serial book from "U.S. Congressional Serial Set"

The call numbers associated with government documents are called SuDoc numbers (for "Superintendent of Documents"). This is a provenance system--it organizes publications based upon issuing agency. For example, all A call numbers are publications of the Department of Agriculture, C is Commerce, D is Defense, etc. Michigan State University Libraries have a great tutorial on SuDoc numbers, if you would like to know more.

1. Identify your source

Use the databases and indexes listed on the Grinnell College Libraries U.S. government documents basic or detailed source page to find documents on your topic.




A. Many of these databases will link directly to the full text of the document.




B. If you don't find the text, write down the full citation, including the title of the document and SuDoc number, if available.

2. Locate the items




A. Search the Grinnell College Libraries Catalog by title or keyword. An increasing percentage of our Federal Government documents are cataloged and can be located and obtained through the Library Catalog.




B. If the item is not in our catalog, it still might be in our collection. Use the SuDoc number to search these areas:

Books, magazines, pamphlets -- 4th floor of Burling, west side

Microfiche -- Microform room on lower level of Burling

Maps and posters -- 1st floor Burling, center

If you have any questions about locating an item, please see a Reference Librarian or Beth Bohstedt.

4th Floor of Burling	Microform room	Map Area

C. The University of Iowa is our regional (full) depository for U.S. Federal Government publications. As a result, they will often hold documents that may not be available here at Grinnell. For information about their holdings and access to their collection, please see a Reference Librarian or Beth Bohstedt.

You might find the following flow chart helpful.

If you cannot find the documents you need, please be sure to see a Reference Librarian or Beth Bohstedt.