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There are
several sources for Government publications, in part depending on whether you
wish to purchase or to read the specific document.
Your first stop, if you know which
agency produced the document, should be to contact the agency directly to see
if it is distributing free copies. The agency's publications office may tell
you how to purchase copies if the document is not available free. If you have
been unable to locate a contact within the agency, do not know what agency
published the document, or do not know whether the Government has published any
information on the particular subject please call our National Contact Center
toll-free at
1 (800) FED INFO.
The largest distributor of
Government documents is the
Government Printing Office. This agency, a part of the Legislative Branch, has an
online bookstore. You must generally
know the title (or at least part of it) and the publishing agency for them to
locate a document.
The National Technical Information Service
specializes in - but is not restricted to - the distribution of scientific and
technical documents, either current or out of print. They can perform searches
by subject even if you have no idea of titles or publishing
agencies.
The
Federal Citizen Information Center may
be the best known distributor of Federal documents through its facilities in
Pueblo, Colorado. They specialize, of course, in consumer-oriented materials
published by or for Federal agencies. You may
download a copy of their
Consumer Information Catalog or individual publications. You may search their
holdings by subject through their web site. In contrast to the above two
offices, the Center distributes some of their documents free or with only a
limited shipping fee.
Another source for viewing out of
print documents or for researching whether the Government has published on a
particular subject is your closest
Federal Depository Library
System. These libraries serve as central sources for both current and older
publications.
Reviewed:
August 4, 2004
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