States Government Publications Research Articles

Factors Affecting Acreage Response of Pulses in the State of Rajasthan

Background: Pulses are rich in protein, fiber and vital vitamins and minerals however, since the start of the so-called “green revolution” in 1966-1967, their cultivation has experienced a notable decrease. This declining trend in the area under pulses shows that farmers have been changing their crop selections in response to changing techno-economic circumstances. Thus, there is a strong need to study acreage reactions, which will provide important insights for developing efficient policy directives for pulse development. Methods: The objective of this research is to examine the factors that impact the production of pulse crops in the state of Rajasthan. The study is totally dependent on secondary data that was obtained from state government publications for the years 2000–01 and 2019-20. In order to achieve its goals, the study uses backward an elimination regression method. Result: The findings indicate that current-year irrigation significantly improved chickpea farming, while positive effects on pigeon pea acreage were linked to current-year rainfall, lagged irrigated area and pigeon pea yield variability. However, pigeon pea acreage was negatively affected by current-year irrigation and lagged production. Additionally, positive correlations were found between the lagged price of a rival crop (Bajra), current-year rainfall and moong bean acreage response. Urd bean acreage benefited from one-year lagged rainfall, lagged area and yield of pulse crops and lagged pricing of a rival crop (linseed). Therefore, investing in research and development, promoting rainfed techniques and establishing supportive pricing systems are crucial for boosting pulse production and meeting future demand efficiently.

Decarceration of older adults with mental illness in the USA – beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeAging and mental illness both represent significant public health challenges for incarcerated people in the USA. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the vulnerabilities of incarcerated people because of the risks of infectious disease transmission in correctional facilities. Focusing on older adults with mental illness, this paper aims to examine efforts to decarcerate US correctional facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether these approaches may lead to sustainable reforms beyond the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA narrative literature review was conducted using numerous online resources, including PubMed, Google Scholar and LexisNexis. Search terms used included “decarceration pandemic,” “COVID-19 decarceration,” “aging mental illness decarceration,” “jails prisons decarceration,” “early release COVID-19” and “correctional decarceration pandemic,” among others. Given the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this narrative literature review included content from not only scholarly articles and federal and state government publications but also relevant media articles and policy-related reports. The authors reviewed these sources collaboratively to synthesize a review of existing evidence and opinions on these topics and generate conclusions and policy recommendations moving forward.FindingsTo mitigate the risks of COVID-19, policymakers have pursued various decarceration strategies across the USA. Some efforts have focused on reducing inflow into correctional systems, including advising police to reduce numbers of arrests and limiting use of pretrial detention. Other policies have sought to increase outflow from correctional systems, such as facilitating early release of people convicted of nonviolent offenses or those nearing the end of their sentences. Given the well-known risks of COVID-19 among older individuals, age was commonly cited as a reason for diverting or expediting release of people from incarceration. In contrast, despite their vulnerability to complications from COVID-19, people with serious mental illness (SMI), particularly those with acute treatment needs, may have been less likely in some instances to be diverted or released early from incarceration.Originality/valueAlthough much has been written about decarceration during the COVID-19 pandemic, little attention has been paid to the relevance of these efforts for older adults with mental illness. This paper synthesizes existing proposals and evidence while drawing attention to the public health implications of aging and SMI in US correctional settings and explores opportunities for decarceration of older adults with SMI beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Documents Expediting Project, 1946–2004

The Documents Expediting Project (DocEx), an acquisition and distribution service for federal documents that operated out of the Library of Congress (LC) from 1946 to 2004, was an important source of non-depository items, second copies, and fugitive documents. In addition to distributing documents to subscribing libraries and other organizations, DocEx supplied documents to the Superintendent of Documents for inclusion in the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (MoCat). DocEx stands as a model of cooperation between libraries, library associations, LC, federal agencies, the Superintendent of Documents, and vendors to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of millions of documents that would otherwise have disappeared.

Cataloging and Archiving State Government Publications

The academic libraries in Alabama have been hampered in their ability to provide government information to researchers by the lack of a functioning state depository system. Digital publishing can make timely distribution and widespread accessibility of state government information possible if these online documents can be captured and archived before they are removed from agency Web sites. This article describes a year-long project to capture, archive, and catalog government publications by a catalog unit.

Selection practices for Web-based government publications in state depository library programs: Comparing active and passive approaches

Abstract This paper describes a comparative case study of the capture and selection practices used to populate electronic depositories of born-digital state government publications. The three case sites illustrate differences in collection building approaches, technological infrastructures, and statutory contexts. The findings reveal two basic modes of selection practices—active selection and passive selection, and three selection models based on the loci of selection control—library selection, liaison selection, and creator selection. Also, the findings suggest the power of defining and selecting government publications for state depositories is shifting from government agencies to state libraries in the active selection model. The authors argue for the need to attend to Web publications in non-traditional formats (e.g., an interactive HTML document) and to include common publications produced for lay citizens (e.g., brochures, fact sheets, FAQs, etc.) in the permanent collections in order to fully document government activities for the historical record.

John H. Hickcox’s confession: An addendum

Letter to the Editor John H. Hickcox’s Confession: An Addendum In 2004, we wrote an article for the Journal of Government Information reporting the arrest of John Howard Hickcox, creator of United States Government Publications: A Monthly Catalogue (also called Hickcox’s Monthly Catalogue) and Assistant Librarian at the Library of Congress, for stealing letters and money sent to the Librarian of Congress, Ainsworth R. Spofford. Since the charges against Hickcox were later dropped, and Spofford, his employer, was quoted in a newspaper account as saying that he believed that Hickcox was innocent, we speculated that he was not guilty (Stimson & Nobunaga, 2004). However, the recent discovery of a letter written in 1882, just over a month after Hickcox’s arrest, has led us to believe otherwise (Bramhall, 1882). Hickcox was probably better known as a prominent numismatist than he was as a government publications specialist. Hickcox was made an honorary member of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society (ANAS) in 1859 (Hickcox, 1859). When Hickcox was arrested on January 19, 1882, it was front page news in newspapers across the United States. It appears that the ANAS learned of the arrest and asked their Corresponding Member in Washington, William L. Bramhall, to investigate and report back to the society. Bramhall’s letter to William Poillon, Secretary of the ANAS, dated February 24, 1882, (with the notation “JR [sic] Hickcox’s scrape” later written on the outside), says:

Moving into the Digital Age

ABSTRACT Libraries have developed methods and processes for collecting, processing, providing access to, and preserving paper publications. As publishing shifts from printed to digital form, libraries need to rethink and revise systems to handle the ever-increasing flow of digital publications. These challenges are being addressed by the State Library of North Carolina as it attempts to manage digital state government publications, which have characteristics similar to most gray literature now produced on the Internet. This article discusses changes in cataloging and workflow designed to accommodate the increased amount of digital information and presents a model for managing digital publications in the context of state government publications. The conceptual model covers six aspects of a publication's management: creation, collection, description, storage, access, and preservation.

Government information at Lied Library

PurposeTo provide a case study focusing on efforts Lied Library has undertaken in collection development and management, space utilization, electronic access, web site revisions, and staff training in government publications.Design/methodology/approachThe construction of and move into Lied Library have coincided with major developments in the production and dissemination of federal, state and local government publications and other information products. Among them is a trend away from print publications and toward “born‐digital”, electronic‐only publications. At the same time, space utilization issues have become even more critical in the new building. This article will explore the ways in which these developments and the new technologies available both within Lied Library and elsewhere are shaping the management and use of the print collections, collection development practices and bibliographic control of government information and public access.FindingsThis article highlights activities that have been undertaken over the past two years in Lied Library to make the government information collection more user‐friendly.Research limitations/implicationsThe article only highlights activities that have been undertaken at UNLV Libraries regarding government information resources, not on developments and challenges in other parts of the UNLV Libraries.Practical implicationsThis article provides a useful case study focusing on one academic library's attempt to make government information resources more accessible to both library staff and users.Originality/valueThis article highlights and identifies Lied Library's experiences in making government information more accessible to both staff and patrons and discusses issues such as storage, evaluating the collection, cataloging, training staff and users, and revising the government information web site. Libraries may be able to use similar techniques in making their government resources more accessible to clientele.

Selection practices for Web‐based government publications in state depository library programs: Comparing active and passive approaches

AbstractThis comparative case study examined the capture and selection practices used to populate electronic depositories of born‐digital state government publications. The three case sites illustrate differences in collection building approaches, technological infrastructures, and statutory contexts. The findings reveal two basic modes of selection practices—active selection and passive selection, and three selection models based on the loci of selection control—library selection, liaison selection, and creator selection. Also, the findings suggest the power of defining and selecting government publications for state depositories is shifting from government agencies to state libraries in the active selection. The authors argue for the needs to attend to Web publications in non‐traditional formats (e.g. an interactive HTML document) and to include common publications produced for lay citizens (e.g. brochures, fact sheets, FAQs, etc.) in the permanent collections in order to fully document the government activities for the historical record of a society.

Publishing trends within state government: The situation in North Carolina

The State Library of North Carolina is responsible for ensuring public access to North Carolina state government publications and maintaining a permanent state documents depository collections. Over the last 7 years, state agencies have increasingly disseminated information in digital formats via the Internet, posing challenges for the State Library to collect, manage, and preserve state publications for public access. In order to address these challenges, the State Library initiated a multiyear research project to develop a plan for managing digital state publications for permanent public access. The first year of the project was devoted to gaining knowledge of current publishing practices by surveying state agency staff and reviewing a selection of state agency publications. The article discusses the results of this research, using North Carolina as an example to illustrate many of the challenges of providing permanent public access to digital information, including rapidly changing Web sites, technological obsolescence, lack of standards for preservation and access, complex political considerations, and difficulty obtaining sufficient funding. The article concludes with recommendations for actions that state libraries and other memory institutions should take to adequately preserve and provide access to digital government information.

The arrest and vindication of John H. Hickcox

In January 1882, John H. Hickcox, a central government documents figure in his time, and the creator of United States Government Publications: A Monthly Catalogue or Hickcox' s Monthly Catalogue was arrested in Washington, DC, for taking letters addressed to the Librarian of Congress. Although the charges were eventually dismissed, 1882 is the last year that Hickcox worked for the Library of Congress. In an effort to add to the history of the key players in government documents publishing, this paper explores this strange incident and also documents other details of Hickcox's life and his catalog, which were discovered during the course of this investigation.

Providing bibliographic access to uncataloged publications: The Nevada State and Local Publications Database

A Web-accessible database made bibliographic information about Nevada state and local government publications available to users. The database also includes hyperlinks to associated government departments, agencies, and several full-text online publications. Planning for the database, its structure, output, and related applications are discussed.

The Journal of Government Information: An exploratory analysis to determine if trends and changes in the government printing industry are reflected in JGI

This paper primarily addresses the question as to whether the Journal of Government Information ( JGI) can be used as a vehicle to track the historical trends and changes within the government publishing industry over a 25-year period. Secondarily, it seeks to explore if government publishing lags behind or precedes coverage in the popular press on topics it covers. A quantitative analysis of coverage in JGI's Notable Documents issues, the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, and the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature is included along with qualitative findings gathered from the journal's editorial content. A clear picture of the emerging trends in content, format, and dissemination methods can be seen in this historical account but further comparison with the industry would be required to determine how complete a picture it provides. There is evidence to support the contention that JGI represents the coverage of certain topics in a proportional manner. There is also evidence to support that the popular press either leads or is on par with the government publishing industry in some areas.

Life and times of John H. Hickcox: Government publications history revisited

Until the late nineteenth century, the printing and distribution of federal government documents was not well regulated. In 1885, John H. Hickcox, Sr. began privately publishing United States Government Publications: a Monthly Catalogue, also known as Hickcox's Monthly Catalogue, which alerted the public to the availability of recent publications, a function that the government was not then performing. Hickcox's catalog immediately preceded establishment of the government-published Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, of which he subsequently was appointed the first compiler. This paper presents information on Hickcox from primary materials and other secondary sources in order to create an awareness of Hickcox and his Catalogue, which have previously been ignored by historians of government information. In addition, some earlier accounts of Hickcox's activities are clarified and corrected.

The U.S. monthly catalog and the publications reference file as collection development tools

The 1991 Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications was examined using a random sample of 668 publications in order to determine what percentage of materials produced at the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) were available through the depository library system, and how many of those were offered through the Sales Division via the Publications Reference File (PRF). It was found that 98 percent of publications (655 titles) in the Monthly Catalog were depository items. The remaining two percent (13 titles) are discussed as an indicator of what was not available through the depository system. It was also found that only nine percent of the publications (62 titles) in the Monthly Catalog were listed as available through the Sales Division. Of that nine percent, only 60 percent (37 titles), were listed in the PRF after one year. The nature of these publications and their average prices are examined. Also discussed are the publications dropped from the PRF. A total of 293 publications were identified as available through either GPO or agency distribution, representing 44 percent of the original sample.

Creating a U.S. Government documents database for an online system: The Tri-College project

Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore College Libraries have prepared a tri-college database for an integrated online system. The common database includes records for all cataloged library holdings and records extracted from the GPO tapes for United States government publications selected since July 1976. The documents librarians planned and carried out a retrospective cataloging project with Brodart Automation. This article describes the preparation of item selection profiles; special programs to eliminate duplicate records and build item records; and the procedures followed to inventory and barcode publications in the stacks, to link barcodes and add holdings information to item records online, and to correct the college files by adding and deleting records online using Brodart's Interactive Access System.

The Transformation of Criminal Justice: Philadelphia, 1800-1880.

Allen Steinberg brings to life the court-centered criminal justice system of nineteenth-century Philadelphia, chronicles its eclipse, and contrasts it to the system -- dominated by the police and public prosecutor -- that replaced it. He offers a major reinterpretation of criminal justice in nineteenth-century America by examining this transformation from private to state prosecution and analyzing the discontinuity between the two systems.Steinberg first establishes why the courts were the sources of law enforcement, authority, and criminal justice before the advent of the police. He shows how the city's system of private prosecution worked, adapted to massive social change, and came to dominate the culture of criminal justice even during the first decades following the introduction of the police. He then considers the dilemmas that prompted reform, beginning with the establishment of a professional police force and culminating in the restructuring of primary justice.Making extensive use of court dockets, state and municipal government publications, public speeches, personal memoirs, newspapers, and other contemporary records, Steinberg explains the intimate connections between private prosecution, the everyday lives of ordinary people, and the conduct of urban politics. He ties the history of Philadelphia's criminal courts closely to related developments in the city's social and political evolution, making a contribution not only to the study of criminal justice but also to the larger literature on urban, social, and legal history.Originally published in 1989.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

The monthly catalog of United States government publications: One title, many versions

This article reports on a study that reviewed the types of electronic media in which census products intended for depository library distribution appear. Paper copy distribution for census publications remains important. In fact, the depository librarians interviewed regard paper copy and CD-ROM as the primary distributions formats. Electronic bulletin boards, in the future, may assume third place among the primary distribution formats. The article also identifies key issues related to increasing access to electronic information via the depository library program and reviews some scenarios for the provision of government information products to library clientele. The study suggests that libraries are including more electronic services and are providing for remote access to library collections and services. However, a number of key issues require attention if future electronic census products are to have increased access through the depository library program.

Separate vs. integrated: The disappearing debate over the organization of United States Government publications in depository libraries

This article reviews the debate over organization of government documents in libraries. Since Michael Waldo summarized the history of the debate (through 1975), dramatic changes have occurred due to the availability of GPO cataloging. New theories, studies, and experiments have appeared, and the formerly opposed viewpoints appear to be reconciled

United States government publications catalogs

United States government publications catalogs