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 About
Government Documents at SDSU 
Background
South
Dakota State University was designated as as official U.S. depository
library in 1889. Hilton M. Briggs Library holds over 573,000 federal
government publications in its collection. Currently, approximately 70%
of the materials made available through the Federal Depository Library Program
(FDLP) are selected and received at the library. Materials are received in a
variety of formats including paper, electronic (CD-ROM, DVD, disk,
video, online), and microfiche. These items are housed on the lower
level of the library and are arranged according to the Superintendent of
Documents classification system (SuDoc).
Purpose and Mission
Our
purpose is to provide both the SDSU community and the general public
with government information.
The mission of the
FDLP is to disseminate information from all three branches of
government to participating depository libraries. Those libraries
designated as depository libraries maintain federal information
products and make those products freely accessible to the general
public. The
FDLP was established by Congress to ensure free access by the
American public to its government's information. Depository
libraries provide professional, local, no-fee access to government
information.
Go to the
FDLP
Desktop to see what makes Federal depository libraries so unique
and essential to the American public.
Collections
*
Federal Documents: Hilton M. Briggs Library has participated in in the
Federal Depository Library Program since 1889. As a selective
depository, the library receives approximately 75% of all publications
available through the program.
As of June 2008, the collection contained approximately:
283,400 paper titles
216,800 microfiche titles
4,400 DVD,'s, CD's, and disks
79,000 maps
These materials cover a wide range of topics including agriculture,
business, commerce, education, health, social issues, current events,
congressional issues, and statistics. Many materials are available via
the Internet in addition to traditional print formats.
Consult the
Guide to Government Information page for assistance in locating
government information.
*
Maps: Maps received through the Federal Depository Library Program are
housed near the Documents Collection on the lower level of the library.
Holdings include
USGS topographic maps for all fifty states, Puerto
Rico, the District of Columbia, and Antarctica. Other collections of
note are
USGS survey maps, the Bureau of Land Management land-use and
mineral management maps, and the Defense Mapping Agency nautical charts.
Indexes for identifying names and numbers of specific maps are located
in the Documents Office. Please ask for assistance if you have any
questions.
*
Microforms: The library's collection of microforms is arranged by call
numbers. Microform materials typically include older issues of
newspapers and magazines, ERIC documents, and government publications.
Consult the Serials List or Library Catalog to find the call number
for each title. Machines for viewing and printing from microfilm,
microprint and microfiche are available. Ask the Documents Department
staff for assistance with microforms.
*
Curriculum Collection: Curriculum materials are available for a range
of subject areas.
*
State Documents: Hilton M. Briggs Library is a depository for South
Dakota state publications. The majority of South Dakota documents
have been cataloged and incorporated in to the online catalog. They
are accessible by subject, title and keyword searches.
Location
Lower Level of Hilton M. Briggs
Library
Hours
The Documents
Department is staffed M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
(Weekend and evening hours may
vary. Assistance is also available at the Information Desk when the
Documents Office is closed.)
Services
The Documents
Department provides reference and instructional service for the
documents collection in addition to assistance with microform
readers/printers and photocopiers. The department also serves as a
general service point for library patrons.
* Reference Service: Staff members in the Documents
Department provide reference assistance for the library's collection
of government materials. This may be as simple as assisting patrons
in locating a needed item or as complex as seeking out a particular
fact or bit of information. Feel free to contact the Documents
Department for assistance in accessing government information.
* Instruction Service: Instruction on accessing government
information is provided in two ways. Demonstrations are held
throughout the academic year one the library's classrooms on the
Main Level. Consult the schedule of library instructional sessions
for exacts dates and times. Course-specific sessions are provided by
the documents librarian in cooperation with the library's
instruction program. The documents librarian is available to meet
with classes and to provide instruction in the access and use of
government information in both traditional and electronic formats.
Contact the documents librarian or the library instruction
coordinator for additional information or to schedule an
instructional session.
* Microforms Service: The Documents Department is the main
service point for the library's microform collections. Staff members
are available to assist patrons in locating needed microforms and in
using the library's equipment to read and, if necessary, photocopy
microforms.
* Public Service: The Documents Department provides
directional assistance, help in locating serials on the library's
lower level, and support for the photocopiers that are located near
the office.
Staff
Vickie Mix,
Government Documents Librarian,
Assistant Professor
Laura Plowman,
Library Technician
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