Collection Overview
The Government Documents unit of the O'Neill Library, located in the 4th Congressional District, was designated a federal selective depository library in 1963. Other selective depository libraries in the 4th district include the Public Library of Brookline, Wellesley College, the Boston College School of Law, and the Boston Public Library (a regional, i.e., complete, depository). The collection supports the curriculum and research needs of Boston College and acquires extensively in the areas of small business, commerce, education, labor, health, vital statistics and international commerce. In accordance with the requirements defined in the Instructions to Depository Libraries, Guidelines for the Depository Library System, and the Federal Depository Library Manual, this unit also strives to serve the government information needs of the constituents of the 4th Congressional District.
Primary responsibility for selection of government documents and support materials belongs to the Government Documents Librarian. However, bibliographers in all subject areas review and reevaluate current depository selections annually. They make recommendations for additions and de-selections, as well as for commercially published resources to support the collection.
This depository currently selects 42% of the depository item selections. The selections are primary in English with selected titles in Spanish and Braille.
The Government Documents Collection supports a broad range of programs, but is primarily used by the Carroll School of Management, the School of Nursing, the Graduate School of Social Work and the Political Science, History, Education and Sociology Departments. | Selected resources can be found on the History and Political Science subject pages.
Public Service
The Government Documents Department, located on level one, is open to the public any time O’Neill Library is open but is typically staffed from 8:30am till 10pm Monday to Thursday, 9am till 5pm Friday and Saturday, and 12-9pm on Sunday.
Interdisciplinary Elements of Subject Area
Primary areas include: education; health; health care; vital statistics; demography and population; Congress; industry and commerce; labor and international trade. However, the breadth of government documents coverage supports most disciplines.
Formats and Types of Materials
Paper copy is preferred for most frequently used documents. Duplicate copies are purchased for heavily used reference material such as the Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
An increasing amount of government information is now available on the internet. Electronic publications falling within the Boston College depository profile are uploaded into the Quest library catalog.
The Government Documents area has internet workstations in addition to microform reader/printers and two microform reader/scanners available.
Languages
Most materials collected are in the English language.
Geographic Area Coverage
Collection covers both U.S. and International areas.
Time Periods
The depository collection is mainly a current documents collection but also has some historical publications (particularly in the area of Congressional publications).
Dates of Publication
Current publications are acquired. A limited number of earlier titles, both book and serials, are purchased as needed for replacement purposes.