Cataloging options for U.S. Government printing office documents

Abstract

The cataloging of United States Government Printing Office documents seems to have taken a back seat to the cataloging of more traditional materials in most libraries, including depository libraries. Much of this problem may be due to libraries' failure to recognize the tremendous value of the material available from the Government Printing Office. However, the availability of USGPO machine readable tapes now makes it practical for documents librarians to rectify this oversight and take advantage of a powerful and growing library automation industry to make cataloging for USGPO documents readily available through the library's regular cataloging channels. Some possible sources and methods for obtaining USGPO cataloging are treated along with some available forms which the cataloging might take. Mention is also made of ways to assess a library's USGPO cataloging needs and methods for the development of a USGPO database for an individual library. Finally, there is brief mention of the experience of two depository libraries which integrated USGPO cataloging into their regular cataloging system.