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Frequently Asked Questions
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- What are Government Documents?
- Where are the Government Documents located?
- What are "SuDocs"?
- How do I find Government Documents?
- May I check-out Government Documents?
What are Government Documents?
Government documents are any publication issued by a governmental department, agency, office or commission. Odum Library has federal, Georgia and municipal documents. Documents may be in a variety of formats: print, microfiche, CD, online, etc.
Where are the Government Documents located?
Most government documents are held in a separate "Government Documents Collection," on the second floor of the Library. These documents are arranged according to a special classification system known as the Superintendent of Documents, or "sudocs." Exceptions to this rule, and their location, will be noted in the catalog.
Sudocs refers to the classification system used to arrange government documents. To find a government document, you will usually need the sudoc class number. Be sure to differentiate sudocs from either "item numbers" or "stock numbers," which are often also reported by bibliographic resources. Sudocs use an alpha-numeric notation that looks a lot like "Library of Congress" call numbers. However, the sudocs system is based on the agency issuing the document, not on the subject of the document per se. For guidance on how to read sudocs, see the Guide to Shelving by SuDoc Number.
How do I find Government Documents?
Any documents dated 1976 or after will be in the Odum Library catalog. For pre-76 documents, you must depend on alternative finding guides, such as the Monthly Catalog (GP3.8:) or WorldCat. For assistance, consult Reference Services, 229-333-7149.
May I check-out Government Documents?
Yes, most government documents will circulate. Note, however, that some items are for building-only use. In addition, most items prior to 1976 will require rush processing before they may be checked-out. If this is the case, bring the item to the librarian at the Reference Desk.
For more information about Government Documents at Odum Library, visit our Government Documents homepage.
Ask Us (Chat Now), Tell Us about the Library website. This document last modified Monday, 05-Dec-2011 14:03:47 EST Staff