This year marks
the 50th anniversary of North Central Michigan College
Library being appointed by Congress as a Federal Depository Library
for US government documents. Currently, the library receives about
24% of the items made available by the Government Printing Office
(GPO). We try to select those items that are relevant to the fields
of study offered at NCMC.
Many of the
items we receive include: books, pamphlets, magazines, microfiche,
maps and CD-roms; covering such topics as: statistics, legislative
materials, census reports, Congressional hearings, politics, law,
business, education, crime and criminal justice, health and medicine,
science and technology, arts and humanities, income tax, Social
Security and Veteran’s benefits, small business, citizenship and
immigration, federal grants, travel and recreation, as well as
nutrition and exercise. We also have access to many electronic
documents that are not available in print.
That’s a LOT of different topics
isn’t it? Were there a few covered that you didn’t expect to see?
I know I was surprised the first time I learned about the contents of
our depository! The books are not just about politics, but have
beautiful photos and art, as well as speeches made by the presidents,
all sorts of maps and studies, and even videos. We have information
from all government departments, including the military as well as
the office of the vice president and the president. And best of all?
ALL of these items are in our card catalog and CAN BE CHECKED OUT!!!
Just like a regular library book!! We are constantly getting
shipments in, so all the information is kept up-to-date.
Come on in and take a look at the
display of Government Documents near the entrance. This is only a
sampling of what we have available to you? Need help navigating the
depository? Not a problem! Just ask at the desk and we are more than
glad to help.
Nicole Cook, Gov Docs Assistant