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FDLP Resource Guides

Beyond FDLP.gov

Major Textbooks Focusing on U.S. Government Structure, Processes, and Resources

Having a textbook or two nearby is always handy. Please note publication dates.


Abbott-Hoduski, Bernadine E., ed. Cataloging Government Documents: A Manual of Interpretation for AACR2. Chicago: American Library Association, 1984.

Boyd, Anne M. United States Government Publications. 3rd ed. Revised by Rae E. Ripps. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1949, reprinted 1952.

Brown, Christopher C.. Mastering United States Government Information: Sources and Services. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2020.

Caro, Susanne, ed. Government Information Essentials. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2018.

Cheney, Debora. The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources: a Manual for Social Science
& Business Research. 3rd ed. Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, 2002.

Ennis, Lisa. Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the Neo-Depository Era. Medford, NJ: Information Today. 2014.

Forte, Eric et al. Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources. 2nd ed. Chicago: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2016.

Garvin, Peggy, ed. Government Information Management in the 21st Century: International Perspectives. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2011.

Guide to U.S. Government Publications. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, Inc., 2019.

Herman, Edward. Locating United States Government Information: A Guide to Sources. 2nd ed. Buffalo, NY: W.S. Hein, 1999.

Hernon, Peter et al. United States Government Information: Policies and Sources. Westfield, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2002.

Latham, Bethany. Finding and Using U.S. Government Information: A Practical Guide for Librarians. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2018.

Morehead, Joe. Introduction to United States Government Information Sources. 6th ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1999.

Morrison, Andrea, ed. Managing Electronic Government Information in Libraries: Issues and Practices. Chicago: American Library Association, 2008.

Ormes, Dorothy. Free Government E-Resources for Youth: Inform, Inspire, and Activate. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2016.

Robinson, Judith Schiek. Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources. 3rd ed. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1998.

Schmeckebier, Laurence F. and Roy B. Eastin. Government Publications and Their Use. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 1969.

Sears, Jean L. and Moody, Marilyn K. Using Government Information Sources: Electronic and Print. 3rd ed. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2001.

Sevetson, Andrea, ed. The Serial Set: Its Make-up and Content. Bethesda, MD: ProQuest, 2013.

Sherayko, Carolyn C., ed. Cataloging Government Publications Online. New York: Haworth Press, 1994.

Simons, Alexandra, et al. Sudden Selector's Guide to Government Publications. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2017.

Sinclair, Gwen. Government Information: A Reference for Librarians in Hawai‘i. 2nd ed. Honolulu: Pressbooks, 2024. Retrieved from https://pressbooks.oer.hawaii.edu/govinfo2ed/.

Textbooks that Include Information about Federal Information Resources

Berring, Robert C. and Elizabeth Edinger. Finding the Law. 12th ed. St. Paul, Minnesota: West Academic Publishing, 2005.

Larsgaard, Mary Lynette. Map Librarianship: An Introduction. 3rd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 1998.

Lopresti, Robert, "Chapter 07 - Government Sources" (2016). The Research Process: Strategies for Undergraduate Students. 7. https://cedar.wwu.edu/research_process/7

Photograph of colorful CFR covers

Photograph of colorful CFR covers.