Southeastern Louisiana University

Government Documents

Sims Memorial Library has been a selective depository for Louisiana state government publications since 1962, and for U.S. government publications since 1966. The Documents Department houses more than one hundred thousand books, periodicals, maps, compact disks, and videos published by state and federal agencies. Topics covered by the collection include health care, government benefits, legislation, national parks, and many others. The collection is particularly strong in statistical information. Federal documents issued from 1976 to the present and Louisiana documents issued from 1999 to the present can be found by searching the Library Catalog. A variety of print and electronic indexes are available in the Morrison Room to assist in locating older publications.

Contact Information Hours: Library Hours Location: Morrison Room (Sims, Rm. 306) Contact: Lori Smith, Dept. Head Phone: (985) 549-3966

• U.S. Government Publications
• Louisiana State Government Publications
• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Microfiche
• Census Microfilm (Louisiana and Mississippi only)
• Memorabilia from the Career of Congressman James H. Morrison

• Reference Assistance
  Staff are available to assist the public in locating information within the Department and in online sources.
• User Education
  The Head of the Government Documents Department is happy to speak to classes, groups, or individuals about government resources. Please contact her to make an appointment.
• Equipment
  The Department has four public access computers that can be used to search the Library Catalog, Databases, and other online sources. Five microform reader/printers are available for viewing microfilm/microfiche and for making copies.

• Circulation of Documents
• Quiet Study
  The southeast corner of the Documents Department is a Quiet Study area.

Recommended Government Resources

• Databases and Indexes
• Web Sites
  • USA.gov - The official search engine for federal government information.
  • GPO Access - Government Printing Office site with links to many federal resources.
  • Louisiana.gov - Louisiana's official home page.
  • Government Webliography - Annotated list of federal, state, and international government information sites.

Subject Bibliographies

• Government Information Subject Guide
• Popular Government Publications
• Community Assessment Sources
• Disease and Epidemiology Information Resources
• International Business Resources
• State Depository Laws

• Helpful Hints for Finding Government Documents
• Other Federal Depository Libraries
• Introduction to Government Information Resources - Chapter - A description of depository libraries and important government publications.
• Introduction to Government Information Resources - Assignment - A task assigned to some of the LS 102 classes.
• New Government Documents Titles
• Other Federal Depository Libraries