United States Federal Government Documents

The Grinnell College Libraries have been a selective depository for United States Federal Government documents since 1874. Our mission--as part of the Federal Depository Library Program--is to provide access to Federal Government information for the faculty, staff, and students of Grinnell College and for the residents of Iowa's third Congressional District.

Our 46% selection rate provides for most of the government document needs of our patrons. Our regional depository, located at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, offers a full collection of Federal documents. Over 90% of new Federal Government documents are now made available via the Internet, and links to new sites of interest are added on nearly a daily basis to the Library Catalog. As a selective depository, we consider the complete, official, and permanently accessible databases offered by GPO Access when deciding whether to retain or continue receiving the tangible versions of documents.

Once a year during the selection cycle process, the documents staff conducts a zero-based review of documents available from the Federal Government. Requests from library staff and patrons are considered for selection at that time. In addition to the core collection prescribed by the Federal Government, areas of focus for collection development include agriculture, economics, education, the environment, international relations, labor, social issues, and technology. Documents of any format (print, CD, DVD, microfiche, online, etc.) are considered for selection. Format preference depends on the type of use a document is expected to receive.

The Grinnell College Libraries maintain a print collection of United States Congressional Serial Set volumes from the late 1700's to present, and continually seek to acquire needed volumes to fill gaps. In addition, we purchase access to a digital version of the Serial Set (including the American State Papers). These and other print serials, monographs, and maps of historical interest are retained indefinitely. Since the Grinnell College Libraries do not attempt to serve as a comprehensive document archive, superseded and dated materials are weeded promptly. Documents which have been in the collection longer than the required five-year retention period are reviewed systematically for retention. Unwanted items are withdrawn according to Federal regulations.

Questions? Contact Kevin Engel, Beth Bohstedt, or any of the Librarians.