Government Documents and Information

Guide to Government Documents and Information

Thompson Library Update

Need assistance with Government Documents or if you have questions concerning Government information please contact Mary Ann Ries (ries.3@osu.edu) via email.  Office hours Monday thru Thursday 8 am-4 pm, and Friday afternoons by prior appointment only.

Government Documents and Information

Introduction to Government Resources

 

Government is made for the people, made by the people,
and answerable to the people.

Government Officials have an obligation to explain their decisions and actions to the general public.  Government publications play a key role in this accountability.

Government publications - at all levels - are today a major source of information in practically every field of endeavor and are crucial to informed public decision-making.

Depository Libraries provide access to government publications.  The Ohio State University has two Federal Depository Libraries on its Main Campus.  Thompson Library has been a depository since 1907, and Moritz Law Library become one in 1984.  Thompson Library is also a depository for the State of Ohio and for the European Union.

All levels of government from local to international treaty organizations produce documents and information.  In general the larger the entity the more likely it is to publish. These publications range the gamut from primary source materials for scholarly research to informational pamphlets for the general public.


General Resources for Locating  Government Publications

 

Specialized Resources for Locating Government Publications

 

Other Useful or Fun Resources Associated with Government Publications