Metalib as the GPO's Federated Search Resources

Now users can simultaneously search GPO's FDsys (Federal Digital System) and CGP database(Catalog of Government Publications) from one search box: Metalib (metalib.gpo.gov). It also allows search other general government databases such as Pubmed, EPA, TRIS, ERIC index etc. simultaneously. This is an enhanced search feature just released by the GPO. It allows users to narrow their search by categories such as topics, dates, authors, and resources.

Instructional Videos for American Factfinder 2

If you found still difficulty moving around the new American Factfinder (AFF), you would find the two instructions below very useful:

--A 5-minute video on the basics of the AFF 2:http://youtu.be/4Jt3-1dATdk
--A 9-minute video on advanced search: http://youtu.be/V77TkN0YNGQ

Created by a librarian at the University of Colorado.

geodata.gov is moving to data.gov

Geospatial One-stop (www.geodata.gov) is moving to Data.gov (www.data.gov) as of Sept. 30, 2011.

See the announcement in detail at:
http://gos2qp.geodata.gov/QuickPlace/whatsnew22/Main.nsf/h_Toc/7FF8462F91E2D6E488257906007D1C1D/?OpenDocument

Census 2010 and New American Factfinder Workshop is here!

The workshop will be held in Fenwick Instruction Room (2nd floor) on Wednesday, August 31st at 10:30-12:30.

A few seats are still available. If you want to join us, please contact Joy Suh (hsuh1@gmu.edu)

Speaker: Jori Frazier at the U.S. Census Bureau in Charlotte, NC.
Topic: Overview of the 2010 Census and American Community Survey and a hands-on training on the new American Factfinder (AFF).

Don't miss this good opportunity to learn about this important America data site.

Link to USGS Publications Changing

"The U.S. Geological Survey's Publications Warehouse (pubs.usgs.gov) will complete a process to migrate all of its' on-line publications into Portable Document Format (PDF) files by September 1, 2011."

the preferred link to this publication is:
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1967

The previous online publication format will stop working by Sept. 1 this year.

(source: govdoc-l)

Census Data for Same-Sex Couple

"The Williams Institutes will be releasing Census Snapshot: 2010 reports throughout the summer. These Snapshots will provide demographic and geographic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico."

Please see, http://www3.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/home.html

Exhibit at GPO-150 Years of Service to the Nation

GPO is celebrating its 150 years of anniversary and hosting the history exhibit, titled as KEEPING AMERICA INFORMED: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 150 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE NATION. This exhibit covers the history of people, the machines, and the material produced at GPO over the past 150 years.

It's open to the public. See the full report.

Update on Davis Bacon Wage Determinations

The U.S. GPO has a partnership with the Dept. of Labor and the NTIS to provide permanent public access to Davis Bacon Wage Determination information.

Visit www.wdol.gov to search and browse both current and archived wage determinations (2000-).

No Longer "Google's Uncle Sam and GovSearch.Google.com" Available

It's official that these two Google Search Engines that Google offered at least for a decade were offline. See the article directly.

Congressional App for That.

Christine Sellers of the Law Library at LoC has compiled a nice list of apps for smart phones that can help you keep up with Congress.

There’s a Congressional App for That, by Christine Sellers, Library of Congress Law Library blog (June 7th, 2011).
(Source: Free Government Information)

Notable Government Information 2011

This year's outstanding government information resources are appeared in the May 15 issue of Library Journal.

Please see the article and a complete list of the documents .

Public Data Explorer: Data Visualization

A new Google's project called Public Data Explore allows VISUALIZATIONS of data from the World Bank, OECD Factbook, Eurostat, and the World Resource Institute and the various U.S. government agencies. It's worth to explore.

Help Save the "Statistical Abstracts"

There has been a lot of discussion and suggestions about the pending demise of the Census Bureau's Statistical Compendia Branch and along with it the elimination of the Statistical Abstract of the United States and all other titles produced by that branch (State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, County and City Data Book, USA Counties, Quick Facts). See the US Census Bureau's budget estimates for 2012 (PDF).

Not only the documents librarian community but librarians around the country are beginning to mobilize. Please send your e-mail/letter/fax to our senators and congressmen about your concern on this issue: continue funding for the Statistical Compendia Branch because there is no other existing source to find this statistical information in a similar format.

VA Senators: Jim Webb and Mark Warner
Congressmen (District 11): Gerry Connolly.

Here's your contact of the congressional delegation.

Congressional Committees Hearings via C-SPAN

Government-recorded Hearings Now Being Added to the Video Library C-SPAN Video Library Blog.

"The C-SPAN Video Library now contains committee hearings produced by House and Senate committees. C-SPAN can only record a limited number of committees every day. However, a number of House and Senate committees have installed their own equipment to webcast their committee proceedings. These webcasts are now scattered across House and Senate committee websites or not available at all. In order to enhance the offerings of the C-SPAN Video Library and to consolidate these hearings in one place, we are importing government produced committee video into the Video Library."

Browse the C-SPAN video library!

GPO and LOC's New Digitization Project

The GPO and Library of Congress (LOC) are collaborating to digitize important historic documents such as Statutes at Large (1951-2002), Congressional Record (1873-1998), Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation (CONAN) and Supreme Court cases, etc.

These documents will be available to the public on GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys) and the LOC's Thomas.

For more information: http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/news-media/press/11news13.pdf

ScienceCinema: a search tool for videos

This newly launched site allows users to quickly find video files produced by the DOE National Laboratories and other DOE research facilities.

The URL: http://www.osti.gov/sciencecinema.


Please explore this useful site for your scientific communication and lecture materials.

GPO Depository Users Survey--Please participate!

Help us serve you better by completing a short online survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HSLCRRB
The survey ends Feb. 28th, 2011.

Answers you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with the U.S. GPO (Government Printing Office) and the Mason Libraries.

Your feedback is important to us to serve you better as a depository library.

Thanks!

Access to STAT-USA Data Through USA Trade Online

Although Stat-USA is no longer available, depository libraries still can access U.S. export and import data through USA Trade Online free of charge. Learn more about USA Trade Online and Mason access to this site at http://infoguides.gmu.edu/content.php?pid=70206&sid=531504

New 2010 Census Data To Be Released

Visit the American Factfinder at www.census.gov to access American Community Survey (ACS) Multi-Year Estimates. The U.S. Census Bureau just released for the first time five years for detailed information about American Communities. This is the first time that ACS data is available for all communities in the U.S.(annually from 2005).

Data includes:
familes and relationships, income and benefits, health insurance, education, veteran status, disabilities and commuting, and more.

If you want to learn more about this detailed data available from this survey, visit this helpful guide: Demographers at the UVA's Weldon Cooper Center .

If you need data for the geographies of Census Block Group and Census Block geographies in the 2010 Decennial Data, visit American Factfinder's "Download Center" as an anonymous FTP download. The URL is: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DownloadDatasetServlet?_lang=en

Celebrating 100th Anniversary of the UVA Library as a Federal Depository

Our regional depository library, the University of Virginia's Alderman Library, celebrates its centennial as a federal government depository library this year.

They are mounting an exhibit entitled “An Army of 100,000,000”: Celebrating 100 Years of Government Information at U.Va. "It focuses on World War I and how GPO together with the Committee on Public Information urged the American public to support our allies, our soldiers, and the war effort. It features WWI posters, some of which were in our depository collection prior to being transferred to Special Collections." (from GOVDOC-VA).

Please see their online press release together with a few of their posters at http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/press/govdocs/.

Congratulations!