Government Documents Collection Policy

Objective

The objective of the LRC Government Documents collection is to aid the library in fulfilling its own collection development mission, which is to support “lifelong learning” in accordance with the mission of the County College of Morris.  Depository materials are selected primarily to serve the needs of the college and surrounding community and concentrates in health, census, and legislative materials.

Access

The Documents department is subject to FDLP Legal Requirements and Program Regulations in providing free access to information received through the depository for the general public, including those with disabilities.  The library provides timely access to depository resources through its catalog, primarily in electronic format.  Inclusion on the LRC website is also provided, via the U.S. Government Documents link.  Access to these resources is provided through computer workstations throughout the library and is available to the general public to view, download, and print.

Selection & De-Selection

Depository libraries must develop collections that meet the needs and format preference of their primary library users and the general public. The library currently selects available items as well as core titles from the FDLP Basic Collection.  Government materials are selected primarily to serve the needs of the college and surrounding community and concentrate in the areas of health, census, and legislative materials. The reference staff routinely reviews the List of Classes for additions or deletions from the item selection profile as well as the New Electronic Titles Lists.  Attention to online resources that best meet the needs of the community served will be the primary focus, and recommendations for selection are welcomed from faculty, librarians, administrators, and professional staff.

Format

Electronic resources are preferred, as the Government Printing Office has shifted its focus toward the publication of online resources. A transition to an online depository will involve deselecting tangible items and weeding all current tangible items in the library’s collection.  In accordance with FDLP guidelines, current selective libraries who have tangible publications in their collection may utilize established selection profile and weeding processes to shift to a more online focus within five years. Tangible depository resources will no longer be received and online FDLP resources will be made visible through the library catalogs, web pages or other means.

Special Offers

U.S. Government publications not available through the depository may be acquired at the discretion of the library dean.  If a title is considered important to the collection, it may be acquired from GPO by special order.  Since this is done very selectively, patrons are instead advised to request items not owned by the LRC through the Interlibrary Loan Department.

Superintendent of Documents Classification

All SuDoc numbers begin with one to three letters. Each department or independent agency of the United States government is assigned a letter or combination of letters of the alphabet based on the name of the agency: