Academic literature on the topic 'McLennan Library. Government Documents Department'

After some thirty years dealing with the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) as a reference librarian and later as head of Indiana University’s Government Information, Maps, and Microforms Department, I still feel passionate about the role FDLP librarians play in maintaining documents collections and providing easy access to what our governments publish. Throughout my career as a documents librarian, I contended that documents librarians are stuck in the middle: between ensuring access to government information for our researchers and students, and working as an “agent” of the government to protect these collections. I am specifically remembering all the various recalls for specific documents from the Government Printing Office (GPO), a fundamental aspect of FDLP in working with agencies to get depository items. While cleaning up office files in anticipation of retirement a few years ago, I uncovered a few treasures I would like to share with my government documents colleagues.

Forming, accumulating, as well as bookkeeping of documentary resources is one of the traditional functions of a modern library. Library book collections are of exceptional importance for the formation of the national cultural heritage of the state. The Book Exchange Fund (hereinafter – BEF) of the Scientific Library of the Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University is a part of its Exchange and Reserve Fund. The department is intended for exchange, redistribution, free transfer of documents to libraries and other institutions. BEFs in libraries acquired a legal status in 1959 when a special resolution of the Soviet government was adopted. The documents began to be redistributed through an Exchange and Reserve Fund, which contributed to the preservation of non-core and duplicate editions in some libraries that could be in demand in other libraries. The mechanism for using documents that are in library exchange funds is defined by The procedure for using documents through exchange library funds. In 1947, a BEF for monographic literature was arranged while a BEF for periodicals was allocated. Nowadays the BEF consists mainly of duplicate editions of the University. These are publications highlighting the history of Odesa National University, the works of the teaching staff of the Humanities and Natural Sciences faculties, as well as publications prepared by the Scientific Library staff. The activities of the Department of Rare books are aimed at researching private collections of the Library. Special attention is paid to the research of Ukrainian books from the stackss of the Scientific Library. Employees of the Information and Bibliographic Department publish bibliographic indexes, both thematic and devoted to personalities. It is worth mentioning that the Scientific library exchanges specialized periodicals with partner libraries. The Library has 17 permanent book exchange partners, namely the higher educational institutions, research institutes, the National V. I. Vernadskyi Library of Ukraine. Since 2020 alone, the Library has received through book exchange 860 copies of books and periodicals and sent to its partner libraries 694 copies of current professional University periodicals. This method of periodicals distribution contributes to the popularization of the academic achievements of scientists of the Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University in the professional community. The content of the BEF is disclosed with the help of a reference apparatus, that is card catalogues and non-annotated bibliographic lists of books and periodicals, posted on the website of the University Library in the section Exchange and Reserve Fund (Book Exchange Fund). The Book Exchange Fund is separated from the main stacks, it is not inventoried and is not used for reader service. The work with the Exchange and Reserve Fund of the Library is ongoing. The Book Acquisition Department is carrying out organization and distribution the documents which come to the BEF, improving the accounting of documents. The Department staff continues processing the reserve part of the Exchange and Reserve Fund selecting copies to replenish the main fund of the Library and removing physically worn copies.

A review of: Lambert, Frank. “Assessing the Authoritativeness of Canadian and American Health Documents: A Comparative Analysis Using Informetric Methodologies.” Government Information Quarterly 22.2 (2005): 277-96. Objective - To assess by means of citation analysis whether the public trust afforded health documents published by the Canadian and U.S. governments is appropriate, and to ascertain whether differences in the respective health care systems influence how publications are produced. Design – Comparative study. Setting – The Canadian Depository Service Program (DSP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) web sites. Subjects – One hundred sixty-six electronic documents sourced from the DSP website, and 284 electronic documents sourced from the DHHS website. Methods – Subjects were randomly selected from repositories offering the most comprehensive collections. Documents with evidence of references to other works used in preparation were separated from those without such characteristics. Data variables were collected from documents with evidence of references. Statistical analysis of the data was undertaken. Main results – Of the respective samples, 89 (53%) from the DSP and 109 (38.4%) from the DHHS contained references. Personal authors were identified in 46 (51.7%) and 63 (58%) of the respective subsets. Handbooks and guidebooks accounted for the largest portion of the DSP subset (29; 32.6%) and government periodicals were the largest constituent of the DHHS subset (41; 37.6%). Scholarly journals were the most common reference type for both the DSP (44%) and the DHHS (58.5%) subsets. The number of references per document was widely dispersed for both subsets; the DSP mean was approximately 64 (SD=114.68) and the DHHS was 73.71 (SD=168.85). Kruskal-Wallis subset analysis of median number of references by document type found differences generalizable to the entire DSP and DHHS populations. Health Canada Reports, handbooks, and guidebooks contained significantly more references than periodical articles or fact sheets. Certain DHSS documents, classified as “other,” contained more references than periodical articles. Canadian documents were more likely to contain references than U.S. documents. Comparison of documents to determine whether one country employs more rigorous citation practices did not produce statistically significant results. U.S. Federal Government documents are more likely to be referenced in other U.S. government health documents, compared to Canadian publications. The presence of references in documents from either country significantly affected likelihood of being cited by web authors. Conclusion – Significant differences in reference use frequencies between DSP and DHHS documents challenges Foskett’s stance that documents of value contain references (Foskett). Use of peer-reviewed scholarly journals for both DSP and DHHS publications was reassuring, suggesting a fairly rigorous publication standard. Reliance of DHHS publications upon federal government documents remains unclear. Referencing of DSP documents, irrespective of reference usage suggests a level of trust towards Canadian government health publications. Web authors appear more comfortable citing referenced DHHS documents. Further study could involve the examination of reference frequency by journal compared against journal impact factors.

The article is devoted to the history of the collections acquisition of the Sverdlovsk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after V. G. Belinsky (SOUNB) in 1940 as a part of the study devoted to the history of the library collections formation. The efficiency of any library depends on the quality and quantity of the book collections, so the selection of documents is the main function of librarians throughout the entire period of the library existence. The author aims at tracing how approaches to the creation of collections have been changing for the space of work of the Library named after V. G. Belinsky. The purpose of the study is to present the history of the library through the collections acquisition. The task was to find documentary and statistical materials about the activities of librarians working with collections. The history of the acquisition is unstudied yet, therefore, official government documents, publications in the local periodical press and documents from the archive of SOUNB served as sources for research. For the first time, data revealed in the library archive are introduced into scientific circulation, and an attempt is made to recreate the history of the most important component of library activities – the acquisition of the largest library in the Middle Urals. Special attention is paid to the topic of obtaining the mandatory copy, opening the department for blind readers, creating an exchange stock, also the problems of current acquisition, preservation of book collections and lack of the necessary space for their placement are considered. To study the topic, the method of historical alignment of the chronological sequence of events has been applied.

Purpose This scholarly work aims to investigate the business career of Alfred J. Kohlberg, an American importer of hand-embroidered handkerchiefs in 1922-1957. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses archival resources from the National Archives, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, the Hoover Institution Archives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Custom Courts records, Japanese Government records and other government documents. Findings Scholars have focused on how Kohlberg’s political activities paved the way for McCarthyism. The sources of his vast wealth have not received attention. Kohlberg parlayed a 1922 trip to Asia into a highly lucrative importing business specializing in Chinese napery. By 1930, he mostly imported hand-embroidered handkerchiefs for sale in upscale American department stores. He employed as many 12,000 people in his Shantou godown and contracted for the employment of at least 100,000 embroiderers and perhaps many hundreds of thousands more. Despite American Government policy and the wishes of other importers, Japanese occupation authority documents show that Kohlberg negotiated a bribe to keep the port open. This paper concludes that Kohlberg’s business reflected traditional Chinese business organization. While he stressed his patriotic activities during the Second World War, Kohlberg promoted his business interest over the national interest. Finally, the Chaoshan Region prospered by providing the modern world with traditional hand-produced goods. Research limitations/implications This work explains how the Chaoshan Region functioned in the global economy. It calls for a deeper examination of this entire industry in China and around the world. Originality/value This work uses documents from multiple archives, including Japan and the USA. It also includes declassified documents from the Federal Bureau Investigation. This work constitutes a template for international business history.

Purpose – This purpose of this article is to suggest that it is possible and desirable to use iPads as a teaching tool in a dedicated classroom in the stacks at an academic library. It examines recent research on smart device use among college students and outlines a pilot program that was developed at Southern Oregon University in the Government Information Department. Design/methodology/approach – The article includes a literature review of recent research that has been done about smart technology usage in the library and highlights information gained by a hands-on approach in a pilot program. Findings – The use of smart technology in a classroom in the stacks is an effective way to engage students in the research process. Using free government apps is a no cost solution to covering a variety of topics and disciplines. Students can gain new insights in how to make their smart technology work for them while conducting research. A supplemental iPad check-out program can enable students to have new meaningful interactions with the library. However, technology does present its own set of problems that can derail the experience in unexpected ways. Originality/value – Free government apps are useful learning tools for college students. These tools can be applied in any classroom where students and professor are equipped with smart devices. The classroom described is unique in that it combines the hard copy materials of the library and the use of the technology to immerse students in a total experience of searching for specific government information resources in the stacks area where the physical documents are housed.

The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (KAFRA) (Arabic title: Darat al-Malik Abdulaziz) was established in 1972 with the aim of preserving the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with its geography, literature, thought, and architecture. The Foundation is an independent academic establishment governed by a board of directors, chaired by HRH Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Its funds are based on project returns, investment activities, government funds, and private donations. Its major sections are: Saudi History Archives, Oral History Center, Information Center, Research Department, Female Center, Ad-darah Journal, the Library, King Abdulaziz Memorial Exhibition Hall, Muraba Palace, and the Royal Family History Center.During its twenty-nine years of existence, the King Abdulaziz Foundation has collected and preserved huge quantities of historical source materials: documents, manuscripts, books, magazines, photographs, sketches, paintings, films, and oral traditions. The Foundation is keen to collect, classify, and preserve historical documents in both original and duplicate forms. It has collected, as well as copied from, various archives and research centers outside the Kingdom.

Based on declassified documents from the Clinton library and the Department of State, this article examines the U.S. decision in favor of restricting the first round of NATO enlargement to only three new members, thus leaving Romania in the waiting room, despite the massive diplomatic efforts of the new government, resulted from the 1996 elections. The article delves into the connection between the open door policy and the NATO-Russia relationship, arguing that the U.S. decision sought to increase confidence in NATO’s promise of having subsequent accession rounds in order to reduce Baltic pressures for membership, to avoid the perception of a Russian veto over NATO decisions and, eventually, to lessen further Russian antagonism by continuing enlargement in a gradual manner and making thereby the process more acceptable to Moscow. The U.S. approach was to start with a smaller group of the strongest candidates while keeping promising candidates for the next rounds in order to guarantee the credibility of the open door policy.

During the 1950s, the Province of Manitoba microfilmed and then destroyed thousands of files created by the federal Department of the Interior’s Dominion Lands Branch (DLB). These records, dating from about 1870 to 1930, were transferred from the federal government to the province in the immediate post-war period. They were drawn from a group of more than 5.6 million files occupying 11,640 square feet of office space in downtown Ottawa. During the Second World War, the civil servants responsible for the DLB files were pressured by their superiors to destroy the files in order to free up space and filing cabinets. DLB officials, although not trained archivists, took their responsibility as custodians of the records seriously and sought to prevent the wholesale and indiscriminate destruction of the files. They were supported by archivists who considered the DLB files to be valuable historical documents on the colonization of Western Canada. Eventually, the conflict between preservation and destruction was resolved by dispersing the records; some were transferred to the western provinces and territories, while the remaining files were deposited in the Public Archives of Canada. The first files to be transferred were those related to lands in Manitoba. This article clarifies the provenance of the DLB’s Manitoba files and argues for their enduring value as records of the history of settler colonialism in the province while also revealing the role of non-archivist civil servants as custodians of government records in the mid- 20th century.