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FEDfind: Your key to finding federal government information
Reviews
799
nologies “could revolutionize the public information functions” of government (p. 9), the chapter summarizes policy issues emerging because of conflicts between the public’s right to know on the one hand and paperwork reduction, publication cuts, the growing role of the private sector, electronic information dissemination, and concerns about national security and foreign trade on the other. The chapter, entitled “Electronic Databases and Dissemination of Government Information,” discusses key issues that have arisen because “the policy framework for agency applications (e.g., electronic filing, database creation, and remote printing) is not clear.” (p. 140) As with the other chapters in this document, those with special interests in the issues addressed will want to read not only for the overview of concerns offered, but also to discover government perspectives on those concerns and hints of emerging solutions. (The Paperwork Reduction Act and the OMB’s December 1985 Circular A-130 on ~~Management of Federal Information Resources,” for example, are discussed in terms that are, if not positive, then at least hopeful-a perspective not universally shared within the library profession.) Who would be interested in reading this document? Anyone, in or out of government, who realizes that groundwork is now being laid for decisions that will have long-term national impact. We stand not only on the threshold of greater government use of information technology, but also on the threshold of lawmaking that will determine the nature and impact of those technologies. Decisions that are beginning to take form now will effect government, libraries, scholars, citizens, and professionals for years to come. This document serves a basic function of democratic government by informing the public, paving the way for citizen input before legislation and government action freeze possibilities into realities. JUDITH SCHIEK ROBINSON Associate Professor School of Information and Library Studies State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 U.S.A.
FEDfind: Your Key to Finding Federal Government Information. By Richard J. D’Aleo. 2nd edition. Springfield, VA: ICUC Press, 1986. 480~. ISBN 0-910205-03-S; O-0910205-7 (pbk). $17.95; 9.95 (pbk). The purpose of FEDf~~d is to help the public find its way through the maze of federal government information. In the new edition of this popular reference work, editor and publisher Richard d’Aleo has made several major improvements. The first edition was, primarily, an annotated bibliography of helpful government and private sector publications, arranged by branch of government. In the new edition, these bibliographic entries are augmented with information about the role of the agency and phone numbers for more officials, no personal names are used. The agency information is strikingly f~ili~; not surprising since it is an edited version from the U.S. ~oyern~ent ~anuul. Major entries include the FY 1985 budget information, number of employees, and the Code ofFederal Regulations citation. One of the greatest improvements is the Subject-Organization-Publisher Index that supplements the title index of the 1982 edition. Unfortunately, the titles indexed are not as comprehensive and few subject terms were added so access problems still remain. For example: FED~nd cites a source for information on presidential candidates. To find it, it would be necessary to look under “Politica ProfiIes Inc.” in the index or scan the chapter on the executive branch. The intended audience is citizens, teachers, researchers, students, and librarians. Because of the access problems, it will be most effectively used by those who are familiar with the structure of the U.S. government or those who skim or read major portions of the book. Librarians should use FEDfind as a ready reference tool since it compiles information from so many sources: agency phone books, the Subject Bibliographies, Price List 36, and many others. Brief explanations of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches will be handy as will information on the budget process and government procurement. It will be an important collection development tool for materials from the pamphlet file to the reference shelves. Great emphasis is placed on leading the public to the information. The inclusion of the GPO stock numbers, Superintendent of Documents classification numbers, prices, ISSNs, ISBNs, and order forms from NTIS and GPO are an appreciated convenience. The prices will soon go stale, but nevertheless they will serve as a guide. The most interesting appendix is ‘P,” ‘IForeign Embassies,” which lists the embassies and consular offices in New York and Washington, DC. A flavor of international intrigue is added when the license
800
Reviews
plate codes, designated by the FBI, for 18 Middle Eastern or Communist countries are listed, The FBI has publicized these codes to mark foreign diplomats and their staffs so that U.S. citizens can report any suspicious activities to help prevent terrorism and espionage. Other appendixes include: Public Access Laws, the Paperwork Reduction Act, Computerized Information Sources, and Research Retrieval Sources. The content and physical quality of the book has improved. It has benefited from profession1 typesetting with good use of bold and italic type and better layout techniques. The new edition is 200 pages longer than the old, in part, due to the increase in line drawings, which account for approximately one quarter of the increase. Despite improvements, the volume has its flaws, although minor. Only the regional depositories are listed. Instructions on how to find the list of all depositories are given but a full list would have been better. Descriptions of some major sources have been omitted, such as the ~o~u~e~~ Retrieval Index (DRI) and Brodart’s COM index, the Federaf Government P~b~icafions Catalog. A similar Information Access Corporation tool is listed. In many ways Lesko’s 1986 edition of information USA is better. It is more comprehensive and the subject indexing is excellent, making it more “user friendly.” FEDfind does cover many more excellent private sector tools and the paperback edition is only half the price of Information USA. Most libraries will want to buy both. LIESE ADAMS Assistant Director For Public Services Porter Public Library Westlake, OH 44145 U.S.A. A Practical Guide to the Superintendent of Documents Classification System. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1986. 51 p. (looseleaf). (SuDoc. No. GP 3.29:Pr88). A Practical Guide to the Superintendent of Documents Classification System is a commendable and worthwhile effort of the Government Printing Office (GPO) to consolidate for the depository community the rules, problems, and applications of its Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification system. Continuing GPO’s program to make its policies and procedures standardized and accessible to the depository community, this practical guide joins a growing collection of admirable manuals about the GPO system including the GPO Cataloging Manual, Instructions to Depository Libraries, and Federal Depository Library Manual. The guidelines of the classification system are presented in a highly readable, narrative style. The entire contents, comprising five chapters with numerous subsections totalling 51 pages, are bound in a sturdy, attractive looseleaf binder. While an index might have been helpful to locate particular points of interest quickly, the table of contents is specific enough to get the user to where he or she might want to be. Also, because the guide is only 51 pages, one becomes acclimated to important areas after using it a few times. The guide’s foreword offers a very brief history of the SuDoc class system and an acknowledgment that the fundamental weakness of the system concerning position in the scheme is determined by current organizational status of the author. Following this baring of the soul is a very brief introduction in which the reader is treated to a marvelous example of understatement: “The United States government issues a large number of publications each year.” The serious business of explaining the structure of the SuDoc class system is detailed in the first three chapters, encompassing everything from author symbols and series designations to book numbers and Cutter numbers. The fourth chapter provides a remarkably edifying rendering of the craft of classifying congressional publications, congressional commissions and boards, bills, joint hearings, and reports. Chapter five, provocatively titled “Exceptions, Problems, and Miscellaneous Instructions,” includes sections on special treatment of publications of certain authors such as multilateral international organizations, the ICC, the President, lengthy class numbers, foreign language publications, reprints, changes within classes, and locally assigned class numbers. It should be noted that almost every chapter also has its own section in which special problems are addressed, and with few exceptions the explanations are clear and concise with pertinent examples sprinkled judiciously throughout. A further enlightening feature of the guide is its inclusion of practical applications for many of the general principles presented. While the guide successfully addresses most of the system’s difficulties, others appear to have been
799
nologies “could revolutionize the public information functions” of government (p. 9), the chapter summarizes policy issues emerging because of conflicts between the public’s right to know on the one hand and paperwork reduction, publication cuts, the growing role of the private sector, electronic information dissemination, and concerns about national security and foreign trade on the other. The chapter, entitled “Electronic Databases and Dissemination of Government Information,” discusses key issues that have arisen because “the policy framework for agency applications (e.g., electronic filing, database creation, and remote printing) is not clear.” (p. 140) As with the other chapters in this document, those with special interests in the issues addressed will want to read not only for the overview of concerns offered, but also to discover government perspectives on those concerns and hints of emerging solutions. (The Paperwork Reduction Act and the OMB’s December 1985 Circular A-130 on ~~Management of Federal Information Resources,” for example, are discussed in terms that are, if not positive, then at least hopeful-a perspective not universally shared within the library profession.) Who would be interested in reading this document? Anyone, in or out of government, who realizes that groundwork is now being laid for decisions that will have long-term national impact. We stand not only on the threshold of greater government use of information technology, but also on the threshold of lawmaking that will determine the nature and impact of those technologies. Decisions that are beginning to take form now will effect government, libraries, scholars, citizens, and professionals for years to come. This document serves a basic function of democratic government by informing the public, paving the way for citizen input before legislation and government action freeze possibilities into realities. JUDITH SCHIEK ROBINSON Associate Professor School of Information and Library Studies State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 U.S.A.
FEDfind: Your Key to Finding Federal Government Information. By Richard J. D’Aleo. 2nd edition. Springfield, VA: ICUC Press, 1986. 480~. ISBN 0-910205-03-S; O-0910205-7 (pbk). $17.95; 9.95 (pbk). The purpose of FEDf~~d is to help the public find its way through the maze of federal government information. In the new edition of this popular reference work, editor and publisher Richard d’Aleo has made several major improvements. The first edition was, primarily, an annotated bibliography of helpful government and private sector publications, arranged by branch of government. In the new edition, these bibliographic entries are augmented with information about the role of the agency and phone numbers for more officials, no personal names are used. The agency information is strikingly f~ili~; not surprising since it is an edited version from the U.S. ~oyern~ent ~anuul. Major entries include the FY 1985 budget information, number of employees, and the Code ofFederal Regulations citation. One of the greatest improvements is the Subject-Organization-Publisher Index that supplements the title index of the 1982 edition. Unfortunately, the titles indexed are not as comprehensive and few subject terms were added so access problems still remain. For example: FED~nd cites a source for information on presidential candidates. To find it, it would be necessary to look under “Politica ProfiIes Inc.” in the index or scan the chapter on the executive branch. The intended audience is citizens, teachers, researchers, students, and librarians. Because of the access problems, it will be most effectively used by those who are familiar with the structure of the U.S. government or those who skim or read major portions of the book. Librarians should use FEDfind as a ready reference tool since it compiles information from so many sources: agency phone books, the Subject Bibliographies, Price List 36, and many others. Brief explanations of the judicial, legislative, and executive branches will be handy as will information on the budget process and government procurement. It will be an important collection development tool for materials from the pamphlet file to the reference shelves. Great emphasis is placed on leading the public to the information. The inclusion of the GPO stock numbers, Superintendent of Documents classification numbers, prices, ISSNs, ISBNs, and order forms from NTIS and GPO are an appreciated convenience. The prices will soon go stale, but nevertheless they will serve as a guide. The most interesting appendix is ‘P,” ‘IForeign Embassies,” which lists the embassies and consular offices in New York and Washington, DC. A flavor of international intrigue is added when the license
800
Reviews
plate codes, designated by the FBI, for 18 Middle Eastern or Communist countries are listed, The FBI has publicized these codes to mark foreign diplomats and their staffs so that U.S. citizens can report any suspicious activities to help prevent terrorism and espionage. Other appendixes include: Public Access Laws, the Paperwork Reduction Act, Computerized Information Sources, and Research Retrieval Sources. The content and physical quality of the book has improved. It has benefited from profession1 typesetting with good use of bold and italic type and better layout techniques. The new edition is 200 pages longer than the old, in part, due to the increase in line drawings, which account for approximately one quarter of the increase. Despite improvements, the volume has its flaws, although minor. Only the regional depositories are listed. Instructions on how to find the list of all depositories are given but a full list would have been better. Descriptions of some major sources have been omitted, such as the ~o~u~e~~ Retrieval Index (DRI) and Brodart’s COM index, the Federaf Government P~b~icafions Catalog. A similar Information Access Corporation tool is listed. In many ways Lesko’s 1986 edition of information USA is better. It is more comprehensive and the subject indexing is excellent, making it more “user friendly.” FEDfind does cover many more excellent private sector tools and the paperback edition is only half the price of Information USA. Most libraries will want to buy both. LIESE ADAMS Assistant Director For Public Services Porter Public Library Westlake, OH 44145 U.S.A. A Practical Guide to the Superintendent of Documents Classification System. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1986. 51 p. (looseleaf). (SuDoc. No. GP 3.29:Pr88). A Practical Guide to the Superintendent of Documents Classification System is a commendable and worthwhile effort of the Government Printing Office (GPO) to consolidate for the depository community the rules, problems, and applications of its Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification system. Continuing GPO’s program to make its policies and procedures standardized and accessible to the depository community, this practical guide joins a growing collection of admirable manuals about the GPO system including the GPO Cataloging Manual, Instructions to Depository Libraries, and Federal Depository Library Manual. The guidelines of the classification system are presented in a highly readable, narrative style. The entire contents, comprising five chapters with numerous subsections totalling 51 pages, are bound in a sturdy, attractive looseleaf binder. While an index might have been helpful to locate particular points of interest quickly, the table of contents is specific enough to get the user to where he or she might want to be. Also, because the guide is only 51 pages, one becomes acclimated to important areas after using it a few times. The guide’s foreword offers a very brief history of the SuDoc class system and an acknowledgment that the fundamental weakness of the system concerning position in the scheme is determined by current organizational status of the author. Following this baring of the soul is a very brief introduction in which the reader is treated to a marvelous example of understatement: “The United States government issues a large number of publications each year.” The serious business of explaining the structure of the SuDoc class system is detailed in the first three chapters, encompassing everything from author symbols and series designations to book numbers and Cutter numbers. The fourth chapter provides a remarkably edifying rendering of the craft of classifying congressional publications, congressional commissions and boards, bills, joint hearings, and reports. Chapter five, provocatively titled “Exceptions, Problems, and Miscellaneous Instructions,” includes sections on special treatment of publications of certain authors such as multilateral international organizations, the ICC, the President, lengthy class numbers, foreign language publications, reprints, changes within classes, and locally assigned class numbers. It should be noted that almost every chapter also has its own section in which special problems are addressed, and with few exceptions the explanations are clear and concise with pertinent examples sprinkled judiciously throughout. A further enlightening feature of the guide is its inclusion of practical applications for many of the general principles presented. While the guide successfully addresses most of the system’s difficulties, others appear to have been