The first text to provide a comprehensive introduction to the information policies of the United States government and basic source material, this book emphasizes the underlying importance of policy and its formulations, and traces policies and sources through time. Supported by a companion CD-ROM with documents, exercises, and study questions, this is a key text in government information courses.
This helpful new book discusses access possibilities and policies with regard to government information. New and impending legislation, information on most frequently used and requested sources, and grant writing are some of the topics covered in the comprehensive chapters. Government Documents and Reference Services helps make sense of technical reports, government regulations, patents, and other difficult areas the librarian has to deal with. Reference and technical librarians will find this an indispensable tool to guide them through the intricacies of government document research.
This volume is issue-oriented. By showing that issues relating to topics such as access to government information resources, collection development, and administration are not unique to documents librarianship, it places selected topics in a wider context. The book's objectives are to identify and discuss critically important issues related to increasing access to government information resources, to offer solutions and recommendations by which government information resources and services can be made more effective, to encourage more assessments that examine issues across levels of government, to emphasize the importance and need for a research base related to government information resources and services, and to encourage a critical assessment of current practices and traditional assumptions.