Fogler Library


About Government Publications 

blue bullet    Document: "an original or official paper relied upon as the basis, proof, or support of something." (Webster's Third New International Dictionary)
blue bullet   Public documents are generally implied when the Library uses that term and include publications of United States federal and state and Canadian federal and provincial governments, as well as those of other foreign national governments, and intergovernmental and international bodies. So "government publications" is the name used by the Government Publications, Maps, GIS and Microforms Department.
blue bullet  In the 21st century documents exist in non-paper formats including: microfiche, microfilm, CD-ROM, DVD, and tangible video and audio media. Fogler Library has over 2.3 million government publications available on campus.  Government documents need not be on a library's premises to be accessible, so about 250,000 more are accessible online via links in URSUS.
blue bullet  Documents that are not published,
whether authored by official bodies or not, and that are unique or of very limited distribution, fall in the domain of archives rather than of libraries (though libraries may acquire microfilm or other reproductions of these.)   Two important archives in our state are the Special Collections Department of this library and the Maine State Archive. Archived US and Canadian federal documents are the responsibility of
the National Archives and of the Library and Archives Canada/Bibliothèque et Archives Canada respectively.

Government Publications

Logo of the US Government Printing Office Federal Depository Library Program U.S. Federal Documents USDA Agricultural Research Service logo Agricultural Experiment Station Documents Logo of the United Nations United Nations Documents
Flag of the State of Maine Maine State Documents Logo of the depository library program of the Canadian federal government  Canadian Federal and Provincial Documents Symbol of the Food and Agriculture Organization Intergovernmental and International Documents

Flag of the United States of America

Other States Outline map of Earth's continents Other Foreign National Documents Cartoon of critter symbolizing the Internet Online Government Resources
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           Page created by Frank Wihbey.  For further information please contact: email contact for Frank Wihbey

revised 01/28/2008