Introduction to United States Government Information Sources

By Joe Morehead

Book Overview

Whether used as a text for library and information science students, as a resource for professional librarians needing to access the information produced by or for the federal establishment, or as a guide for researchers, this acclaimed title is an essential resource and a valuable tool guiding readers through the vast and constantly changing terrain of government information in print and electronic forms. Morehead describes administrative machinery and information systems of the Government Printing Office (GPO); introduces general checklists, indexes, and guides to government information; describes the Congress and intrinsic sources that comprise the legislative process; and details many other government publications. Morehead provides a broad overview of public access issues, giving special attention to the impact of electronic formats (notably the Internet's World Wide Web) on the dissemination of federal government information. He then describes administrative machinery and information systems

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563087359
• ISBN13: 9781563087356
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Length: 491 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An excellent way to learn about government information.

If you're wondering just where all the useful information is in the so-called "information explosion," this item just might be for you. Joe Morehead's book is a part of Library Unlimited's "Library and Information Science Text series" (intended as a textbook for librarians in training), but the book is an excellent resource for genealogists, business researchers, educators-anyone who wants to learn more about the vast and varied store of information the U.S. government makes available. And you don't have to be a doctoral student to use this book: Morehead writes in a clear and concise style; facsimiles of pages from various reference sources are included, so that the newcomer to a source will know what to expect. Of especial interest to newbies and Internet veterans alike is a the first chapter, "Public Access in the Electronic Age," which covers the legal aspects of information provision as well as electronic sources of government information. The history and operation of the Government Printing Office and the Depository Library System are discussed. General reference sources, sources of legislative, executive, administrative, legal, statistical, technical, geographic information are covered in detail. One of the best texts for learning what the government publishes and where to find it.