As an official federal and state depository library, the Library holds a substantial collection of U.S. and Maine government publications, located on the lower level of Hawthorne Longfellow Library and on the second level of Hatch Science Library. These items circulate for the same periods as books, with the exception of some older materials which do not circulate.
The Library catalog provides primary access to U.S. and Maine government documents, and it is the best place to begin a search for federal or state publications. Select "Government Documents" from the dropdown menu to limit your search. All currently received documents are listed in the catalog, but many older documents are not yet represented. Specialized indexes can be consulted to locate these publications. Please ask at the Reference Desk for assistance.
A number of indexes help researchers locate specific information within government publications. For all depository documents from 1976 to the present, the online Government Documents Monthly Catalog is the major bibliography; its print counterpart of the same title gives access to holdings from 1890 to 1976. Lexis/Nexis Statistical provides indexing to federal government statistical publications, while Lexis/Nexis Congressional covers U.S. congressional publications.
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