Government Documents at ESU

ESU's Kemp Library is a depository for United States and Pennsylvania state government documents. In 1966, Kemp Library was congressionally designated as a federal depository library in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The FDLP is administered by the Government Publishing Office (GPO).

What are government documents? 

• Title 44 of the U.S. Code defines a government publication as an "informational matter which is published as an individual document at Government expense, or as required by law" (44 USC 1901).
• Libraries do not collect everything published by the government; The FDLP has a specified scope, which does not include classified or strictly administrative documents. 
• Examples of government documents: reports, hearings, books, pamphlets, magazines, maps, etc.

What types of government documents can I find at Kemp Library? 

As a selective depository within the FDLP, Kemp Library may chose what publications and formats (print, online, microfiche) are housed in the collection.  Currently, the collections contain documents in print, electronic (i.e. online linked in this guide and in Primo Library Catalog), and microfiche (you'll need to use the microform reader on the main floor).  Kemp Library strives to align government document collections with ESU curriculum and local research interests (i.e. Tocks Island Dam controversy). 

Kemp Library is also a Pennsylvania State Depository Library. The Pennsylvania Documents Collection contains printed publications of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which were distributed by the State Library of Pennsylvania. The "PA Docs" collection features publications ranging from the 1970s to the 2010s.  

How do I access government documents? 

Kemp Library is open to the public during daytime hours (see current building hours here).  At 6 pm and later, an ESU ID card is required to enter the library building.

The Government Document collections are currently located on the lower level of Kemp Library.

For help finding documents or researching your topic, please email the depository coordinator Michelle Donlin, mdonlin@esu.edu, or:

• Schedule a Zoom appointment with Michelle Donlin,
• Call the Research Assistance phone number at (570) 422-3594. 
• Ask for help at the Circulation Desk.

You can also access electronic government documents online through:

• ESU's Primo Library Catalog,
• FDLP Basic Collection: A list of core U.S. government resources,
• Catalog of U.S. Government Publications,
• Other free government information databases on the library's A-Z Databases list. Look for the green open lock icon.