Finding Government Info
About
The Government Publications Department is closed, but you can still check out our documents.
Government information comes from many sources and offers a bewildering array of information formats. Think about the following questions:
1. Do you need U.S., state, local, or international government information?
2. Do you need a specific type of information (statistics, hearings, environmental impact statements, patents, laws, treaties, scientific information, etc.)?
Do a preliminary search on Google Uncle Sam (http://www.google.com/ig/usgov) to see what's available. This will include documents from all state and local governments, so be sure to specify the geographical area.
Use the table below to decide where to start searching first:
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InvestiGator catalog [www.library.sfsu.edu] |
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| GPO(Govt. Printing Office) [SFSU database] | 1976-present, updated bimonthly -Shows documents owned by SFSU |
| Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) [www.gpoaccess.gov] | -Government documents from 1976-present (many of them are available at the SFSU library). -New Electronic Titles and New Titles: recently catalogued documents, many available online. |
| Print indexes [GP Index Area, 5th floor] | Use to find pre-1976 documents: -Index of Government Publication Subjects -Index of Government Publication Titles |
| Internet search engines | -Google U.S. Government: searches federal, state, and local -USA.gov: official portal of U.S. government |
| International | Intergovernmental search engine from Indiana University |
Investigator Catalog: 1996-present & Congressional hearings
Use the SFSU InvestiGATOR Catalog to find documents available in the SFSU library:
- Government documents from 1996-present
- Congressional hearings from 1951-present
- Selected older documents: the collection includes documents from the early 1800s, some of them are in the InvestiGATOR catalog.
To limit your search to Government Publications, start with a WORD search, and select the Advanced tab. Limit the search to "Government Collection".
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Copy the Government Collection Call # (SuDoc number) and go to the 5th floor to search for the document.
State of California documents do not have call numbers. They are shelved by agency.
To find out how they are shelved, click on the "More Details" tab.
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Copy the information in the "Shelved As" field.
GPO Monthly Catalog from SFSU Database list:
Click on the "Articles and databases" link:
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Select the "Advanced Search" tab and do a keyword search for "oil drilling and California".
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications-1976-present-New Titles & New Electronic Titles
GPO Monthly Catalog from SFSU Database list:
Click on the "Articles and databases" link:
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Select the "Advanced Search" tab and do a keyword search for "oil drilling and California".
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Use the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications to find:
- Government documents from 1976-present (many of them are available at the SFSU library).
- New Electronic Titles and New Titles: recently catalogued documents.
The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is the main search tool for current and historical government publications. It includes all SFSU government documents from 1976-present, and is the most current source of information on SFSU documents.
Sample search for "Oil drilling AND California":
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This search came up with 14 records. Click on #4 to see the full record. If there is no link in the Internet Access column, you can check the record to see if a local depository library has the item.
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Click on "Locate in a Library" to see if SFSU has a copy.
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New Titles & New Electronic Titles
Keep up with new government documents! (http://catalog.gpo.gov/F/?func=file&file_name=find-net&local_base=NEWTITLE) This website lists recently catalogued print and electronic titles. You can search the archives for monthly reports from April 2005, as well as new print and electronic titles added within the last 7 days.
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Print Indexes-pre-1976 documents
Older, pre-1976 documents:
Use print indexes in the Government Publications Index Area to find pre-1976 documents:- Index of Government Publication Subjects
- Index of Government Publication Titles
Internet Search Engines-Google Uncle Sam-USA.gov
Google Uncle Sam (U.S. Government)
Google U.S. Government searches .gov, .mil, selected .com, state and local government web sites. You can limit sources to a particular agency by using site(agency).gov. To search for "corn as alternative fuel source" from the Department of Energy (DOE), include the tag site:doe.gov.
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USA.gov: USA.gov is the official portal of the U.S. government.
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International-Inter-governmental organizations
Intergovernmental Organizations
Experimental web search engine from Indiana University "that you can use to find information from intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, and related organizations."
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