Collection Policies

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS COLLECTION

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Subjects covered: The Government Documents unit collects, organizes, and provides access to federal and State of Ohio government documents.

Departments and users served: The primary mission of the unit is to support the general collecting activities of the University of Cincinnati Libraries, which serves the entire university community. In accordance with the requirements defined in the Legal requirements & program regulations of the Federal Depository Library Program, this unit also strives to serve the government information needs of the constituents of the 1st U.S. Congressional District of Ohio.

Quantitative information: University of Cincinnati enrollment

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION

Selection responsibility: Selection of government documents and supporting materials is made by the government documents librarian in consultation with other selectors, faculty, and staff.

Location of the collection: The Government Documents collection is primarily housed in Langsam Library, 4th floor with selective items housed in Langsam general stacks, and Geology/Physics, Chemistry/Biology, and CEAS libraries. Due to lack of space in Langsam Library, a portion of the federal collection is located at the Southwest Ohio Regional Depository (SWORD).

Other complimentary collections:

The collection is supported by our regional library: State Library of Ohio and by the collections of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OhioLINK libraries, and Northern Kentucky University Library.

Collection history: As a result of a congressional designation, the University of Cincinnati Library became a federal depository in 1929. Between 1929 and 1971 documents entered the general collection based on subject classifications. Acquisition of documents during this period was sporadic. To ensure the acquisition and availability of documents and to consolidate the processing of documents, the current Government Documents unit was created in 1971. The library was designated a depository for Ohio documents in 1975 by the Ohio State Library. Selective United Nations publications have been collected since the 1960s.

General level of collecting:

Federal:

The libraries receive on deposit or online 57% of the material available through the Federal Library Depository Program.

Ohio:

The libraries receive Ohio legislative documents (pamphlet laws, legislative bulletins, daily House and Senate journals, and summary of enactments published by the Legislative Service Commission) and also general publications issued from other state agencies.  Most publications are available online with a small percentage received in print.

SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF COLLECTION

Federal Documents:

Call numbers: The majority of the collection is classified in the Superintendent of Documents Classification scheme with the remainder classified in the Library of Congress Classification scheme.

Current and retrospective collecting: Current and retrospective collecting are both important to the collection with an emphasis on making available access to online resources.

Time period collected: The collection covers 19th Century to the present.

Levels and treatments: The federal documents collection serves the needs of the entire university community and is collected at a research level.

Languages: The U.S. Government published primarily in English. A small amount of materials are published in other languages (Spanish, Japanese, French).

Geographical areas: All

Special aspects: The collection is strong in congressional publications since 1975, publications from the Census Bureau, and the Department of Labor.

Types of resources: All types of resources are acquired.

Resource formats: Federal information is available in all formats including paper, microfiche, maps, and electronic materials.  Current emphasis is to collect only materials available online.

Ohio:

Call numbers: The majority of the collection is classified in the Ohio Document Classification System with the remainder classified in the Library of Congress Classification scheme.

Current and retrospective collecting: In addition to the few print items received as part of the state depository program, the emphasis is to collect only materials available online.

Time period collected: The collections covers the mid 20th Century to the present.

Levels and treatments: The state documents collection serves the needs of the entire university community and is collected at a minimum level.

Languages: English.

Geographical areas: Ohio.

Special aspects: Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is a major focus of the collection.

Types of resources: Monographs and serials are collected.

Resource formats: The majority of the collection is paper or available online with a few titles available in CD-ROM and microfiche.  Current emphasis is to collect only materials available online.

United Nations:

Call numbers: Materials are classed in the Library of Congress classification system.

Current and retrospective collecting: Current and retrospective collecting are both important to the collection. Material from the late 20th Century forward is obtained, as appropriate.

Time period collected: The collection covers the mid-20th Century to the present.

Levels and treatments: Materials published by the United Nations serves the needs of the entire university community and is collected at a basic information level.

Languages: Primarily in English with some French.

Geographical areas: All areas are covered.

Special aspects: The official records of the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council, and Trusteeship Council were collected until the late 1980s.

Types of resources: Monographs, serials, and proceedings are collected.

Resource formats: The majority of the collection is paper or available online with a few titles available in microfiche.

ACQUISITION PROCESSES

Federal:

Federal documents are acquired from the Government Printing Office through the Federal Depository Library Program.   The majority of the titles acquired are available online.

Ohio:

Ohio documents are received on deposit from the State Library, as gifts, and by purchase.

United Nations:

United Nations documents are purchased through a standing order with the United Nations Publications sales office or selected on an individual basis.

Resource Sharing

Most documents in University of Cincinnati Libraries circulate and are available through OhioLINK and interlibrary loan. Some items are designated as non-circulating and must be used in the libraries. These include periodicals and census materials.

Government publications not owned at the University of Cincinnati may be obtained through OhioLINK and traditional interlibrary loan services.

Weeding and Maintenance

The federal documents collection is maintained in accordance with the Legal Requirements and Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library Program. All documents are be clearly marked with the depository property stamp and the SUDOC number.

Superseded documents will be withdrawn. Other documents may be reviewed for retention after five years. As print publications become available online, a decision is made as to whether the print is maintained or not.  As a research library, an attempt is made to maintain a comprehensive federal collection (which may be online rather than print). If titles are identified as no longer needed, they will be offered to other libraries and/or discarded with permission from the State Library of Ohio.

In order to preserve the collection, the documents staff selectively binds currently received printed materials (generally periodicals). The staff also works with the staff of the Preservation Services and Lab Department to ensure appropriate binding and handling of older materials.

Lorna Newman
09/2014