Most print and all microfiche documents are located on floor 2 of the library and are arranged by Superintendent of Documents classification number. Other print documents may be located in the reference collection (floor 2), periodicals (floor 2), or stacks (floors 4 & 5). Stand-alone CD-ROM's and DVD's are accessed using a Government Documents computer on floor 2. Computers for public access are available on floor 3.

Federal documents received by the library since August 1995 may be searched using catalogUSMAI. CatalogUSMAI provides a full bibliographic record for each document as well as location and call number/SuDoc number information and circulation status.

Government publications received prior to August 1995 are located using the Monthly Catalog of Government Publications (Floor 5), CIS/Index (Floor 2), American Statistics Index (ASI) (Floor 5), and the Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) (Floor 5). The Monthly Catalog from 1976 to the present can be accessed through Research Port and from 1954-96 in print on floor 5 of the library. The other indexes listed above are in print and are located on Floor 2 & 5 of the library.

Pathfinder's for locating documents and maps are available in print in the Reference Area and at GovInfo Home.

Reference Librarians and the Government Documents staff are available for assistance during all times that the Reference Desk is open, including weekends. Phone and email questions are welcomed, although patrons are asked to come to the library for complex questions or research projects. The library staff also provides limited assistance when Reference Librarians are not available.

Faculty members are encouraged to schedule instruction sessions on locating and using the Government Documents collection for their classes by contacting the Library Instruction Coordinator. Occasional documents workshops are also conducted and are available to FSU students, faculty, staff, and public.

Circulation of Documents

 

Many print documents, maps, and some CD-ROM's circulate to FSU students, faculty, and staff as well as registered community borrowers. These documents circulate for 28 days and may be renewed. Information and registration fro community borrowing is available at the Library Circulation Desk (301-687-4395). Print Documents that are located in the Reference Collection, Special Collections, Periodicals, or are marked "Do Not Circulate" must be used in the library. Microfiche also does not circulate.

Federal documents that circulate to FSU patrons are also lent to other libraries and individuals via Interlibrary Loan. The copying/ and or lending of other documents is at the discretion of the Documents Librarian and Interlibrary Loan Department.

FSU students, faculty, and staff may request documents that are not available in the library in one of two ways. First, if a document is available at another USM campus library and appears on catalogUSMAI, it may be ordered using the request button function of the catalog. A valid FSU identification card is required for completing this request. Patrons may also check out documents by visiting one of these depositories.

If a document is not available from another USM depository, the document may be ordered using the online Interlibrary Loan request form. This service is only available to FSU students, faculty, and staff. Exceptions are made at the discretion of the Library Director.

Library patrons may wish to visit another depository to obtain federal documents. The Reference and Documents staff will assist patrons in location documents at various depositories. The library cooperates closely with the Depository at Allegany College of Maryland in nearby Cumberland, MD. Three Regional Depositories are also located within a three hour drive of the FSU campus: University of Maryland at College Park, MD; West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV; and the State Library of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA.

The Lewis J. Ort Library provides access to depository information in electronic format to FSU students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the general public. This includes information stored on floppy disk, CD-ROM, or made available over the Internet. The library supports 19 public desktop computers that support full, unfiltered Internet access.

The acceptable use of all public computers in the Lewis J. Ort Library, including those used for accessing depository information, is governed by the Library's Computer Use Policy statement.