Services

Government Documents

Government publications are issued by the State and the Federal government for free.

Online

To start a quick search, try USA.GOV. Not all government publications are online, though. After all, they have been published since 1813.

Visitors seeking to print Federal depository library materials should contact the Reference desk at 318-342-1071 or via email at reference@ulm.edu.

In the Stacks

Many government documents are in other collections. These books, periodicals, audiovisual, and other materials may be found by searching the online catalog. For example, searching by keywords "Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development" retrieves a list of more than 100 books, CD-ROMs, and other materials in circulating collections on first, third, fourth, and fifth floors.

You may search specifically for government documents using the "Advanced" Search. For example, a catalog search qualified by item type "Govt. Document, Circulating" will retrieve only materials which may be checked out; a search for "Govt. Document, NON-Circulating," will retrieve only non-circulating items. Most of the federal materials circulate; some do not.

In the Government Documents Collections, 4nd Floor

There are several special collections of government publications on the fourth floor of the library. Look for the Eagle sign.

 

About Government Publications & Online Resources     

The University Library collections contain more than 190,000 print and non-print federal and state publications. The Library receives these materials at no cost as part of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the Louisiana Public Document Depository Program (LPDDP).

"Established by Congress in 1813, the FDLP is often referred to as "America’s first freedom of information program." The FDLP is based on the principle that "citizens should have free, unimpeded, local access to official information produced by their Government.... The FDLP provides Government information at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country and territories. These depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access to Government information in an impartial environment with professional assistance."

"Louisiana Public Document Depository Program (LPDDP), established by the Louisiana Legislature in 1948, assures that the state's citizens have free, convenient access to Louisiana's public documents. The Recorder of Documents office administers the program, receiving copies of all public documents from state agencies and institutions, then creating the official list of these publications. The documents are distributed to the 33 academic, public and special depository libraries where everyone can use these materials".