University Library > Policies > Policy Statement: Public Service for Federal Depository Electronic Publications

Policy Statement:
Public Service for Federal Depository Electronic Publications

The University Library provides free public access to its depository collections of federal (U.S.) and Wisconsin documents. Identification is not requested before patrons may request or use either depository materials or reference assistance with these materials. Printing and downloading of information from depository materials is supported. There are no fees for the use of depository resources in the University Library beyond the usual and customary fees that also apply to other library materials, such as a per-page printing charge for patrons who are not UW-Whitewater students, faculty or staff.

  • Bibliographic access

    The University Library provides searchable bibliographic information to facilitate the identification and location of federal depository publications in all formats, including those that are available at other depository libraries. All federal depository materials available in the Library in tangible electronic formats (floppy disks and CD-ROMs) are listed in the library's online catalog. Selected Internet publications also are listed in the library's online catalog and/or on the library's Government Resources or Law Resources WWW pages. These WWW pages include links to online finding aids such as the Government Printing Office's Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), which supercedes the print listing Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications and includes searchable listings of federal government agency electronic publications since 1976 with earlier materials being added in the future. Autographics' Government Documents Catalog Subscription Service CD-ROM, which contains the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications since 1976, is available within the library as well (current up to April 2003 only). Both the WWW and CD-ROM versions of the Catalog list depository libraries that receive particular titles.

  • Physical access

    Federal depository materials in tangible electronic formats are not interfiled on the open stacks with paper-format materials. Most federal depository CD-ROMs are stored in locked cabinets to prevent loss, but all reference librarians may retrieve requested materials during the hours that the Reference Desk is open. Floppy disks are backed up, with the original copies filed in the staff workroom and the back-up copies filed either in the "public" cabinets with the CD-ROMs or filed in the Documents Collection stacks in pockets attached to accompanying paper-format volumes. Some CD-ROM or floppy disk titles may be installed for walk-up use at stand-alone or networked workstations as space allows and demand requires. Such titles are designated as non-circulating (in-library use only). Other materials may be installed upon request or allowed to circulate, e.g., a CD-ROM which must be run on a Macintosh would be allowed to circulate because the library does not provide Macintosh computers. Government resources disseminated via the Internet are accessible to all users of the University Library without filtering at all networked public workstations equipped with an Internet browser.

  • Reference assistance

    Reference librarians are expected to have "rudimentary knowledge" of all federal depository electronic products available in the University Library. "Rudimentary knowledge" is defined as knowing where to locate the materials, knowing how to follow installation instructions (where provided), and knowing how to exit from the software. In general, library staff are not expected to have familiarity with manipulating software features once a program is installed. There may be selected titles for which reference librarians are expected to provide competency with using the software, such as GPO Access.

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