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 Library houses several 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 Reference Room to assist in locating older publications.

Contact Information Hours: 7:30AM-4:30PM,M-F Location: Sims, Rm. 133 Contact: Lori Smith, Dept. Head Phone: (985) 549-3966

• Printed Government Publications - Reference Room, 2nd Floor Serials Department, 3rd Floor Bound Serials Stacks, and 4th Floor Book Stacks
• Microform Government Publications(including Census Microfilm) - 2nd Floor Serials Department
• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Microfiche - 2nd Floor Serials Department
• Audiovisual and Electronic Government Publications - 2nd Floor Media Department

• Reference Assistance
  Documents staff are available in the Reference Department to assist the public in locating information within the Library and in online sources. Assistance may be requested in person, via phone, or by e-mailing the Department Head.
• 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.

• Circulation of Documents
• Access and Service

Recommended Government Resources

• Databases and Indexes
• Web Sites
  • USA.gov - The official search engine/web portal 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
• 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