LBSC 767 Access to Federal Government Information
Fall 2012
Course objectives:
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To appreciate the range of information produced by the federal government
To understand the roles of the Government Printing Office, the depository library
system, the federal agencies, and other entities in disseminating government
information
To become skilled in locating federal government information
Class schedule
August 29 Introduction
Course overview and requirements
Government publishing and access
Government search engines and reference tools
Government structure and types of documents
Classified information
FOIA
Historical documents
Sept. 5
Government Documents at McK library
Presentation and tour
by Government Information Librarian, Celina Nichols
Federal Depository System
SuDoc classification system
Government documents in the news
Executive Branch
-- the Presidency and the Executive Office
Sept. 12
Visit to Government Printing Office
Presentation by George Barnum, GPO Historian
Discussion of evolution of government information from print to digital
Sept. 19
Legislative Branch
How a bill becomes a law
Congressional Research Service
Presentations: GAO, CBO, Senate, House
Sept. 26
No Class
October 3
Guest Lecturer: Jennifer Klang,
Head of Reference Services, Dept. of the Interior Library
Legislative History
Tour of Interior Department Library
Oct. 10
Statistics
Census and the American Community Survey
Other statistics from the Federal Government
Oct. 17
Economics
Presentations: Commerce, Labor, Treasury, Agriculture,
Transportation, Federal Reserve
Oct. 24
Science, Consumer, and Medical Information
Patents/trademarks
Presentations: Energy, NASA, EPA, NIH, FDA
Oct. 31
Nov. 7
Social and Cultural Services
Presentations: HHS, Education, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, HUD
International:
Treaties and International agreements
International organizations (U.N., etc.)
Presentations: State, Defense, Homeland Security, AID,
Intelligence Agencies
November 14 Judicial Branch
Presentations: Justice, Supreme Court, U.S. Sentencing Commission
November 21 No Class
November 28 Final Paper Due
Wrap-up: What have we concluded about the breath, depth, and
availability of government documents
Issues in permanent access
Digital information
National Archives
National and Presidential Libraries
December 5 Field trip to Bureau of Labor Statistics
Design and production of government documents
Usability testing of government web sites
Class projects/deliverables
 Term project -- 60 percent
 Agency presentations -- 20 percent
 Class participation (includes coming to class on time, participating in class
discussion, sharing sources, etc.) -- 20 percent
Class will be conducted largely in seminar format with extensive class participation.
Most classes will begin with students sharing sources they have found and/or what they
have discovered about the type of information being covered that day.
Term project
Each student will prepare a paper (approximately 25-pages double spaced) detailing the
government information available on a topic of his or her own choosing. By no later than
the third class, get approval from the instructor for your topic. The goal of this
assignment is to see the broad range of information that is available from the federal
government, including some surprising sources. The paper must have two appendices.
Appendix 1 is a complete listing of the agencies that provide information on your topic.
Appendix 2 is a complete listing of the types of information you found: e.g. reports,
hearings, news releases, recipes, regulations, etc.
Agency presentations
Each student will give an oral report on a specific government agency. A list of
agencies for you to choose from will be provided at the first class. The student is to begin
by reviewing the agency web site, then go to the government documents section at
McKeldin (or another depository library). Compare the information available on the web
to what is available at the library (be sure to check microfilm as well as print resources).
Check to see if the agency has a library and, if so, either visit it in person or review its
web site. If it is not possible to visit it in person, try to contact an agency librarian by
phone or email to find out about the collection, availability of materials, etc. Prepare a
10-minute class presentation on what you found and what you conclude about the
information available from that agency. Post a short summary of your findings on the
course site the day before your presentation.
Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council.
This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and
graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this
course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating,
fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of
Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/whatis.html
Instructor:
Deborah Klein
Mailbox 36 (outside the dean’s office)
Dklein1@umd.edu
Office hours: following class or by appointment