Introducing Governmental Documents in Academic Libraries and School Media Centers: A Selected Bibliography and Guide

Abstract

Library patrons' lack of awareness about the governmental documents held in public and academic libraries is an often repeated theme in the literature of documents librarianship. Various programs are implemented in academic libraries to inform students about governmental publications, including one of the more common methods of user‐education, namely, bibliographic instruction. Classes can range from those that introduce general library resources and mention documents, to those that are devoted exclusively to describing governmental documents. Few college students without specialized training are aware of governmental publications, and some academic librarians and elementary and secondary media specialists may share this ignorance. One illustration of this point is Smelser's study, done in 1978, which showed that only 10 percent of the librarians in Minnesota secondary school libraries and media centers had completed any formal course work in governmental documents. Another 60 percent had taken a course that devoted nine or fewer actual hours of class time to some aspects of governmental publications. Library schools commonly offer only one course on governmental documents; thus, many public and academic librarians feel inadequately prepared to provide assistance in this changing field of reference work.