Government Documents
Queen Elizabeth II Library

Location |  Collection |  Librarians |  Reference Service |  Catalogue Access |  Borrowing |  Electronic Information |  Guides

Location

For current location of Government Documents click on What Has Happened to GovDocs?

Description of the Collection

Our government publications include a comprehensive collection of Canadian federal government documents as well as materials from the United States, United Kingdom, the European Union, United Nations, OECD and other international organizations.

The Queen Elizabeth II Library is a full depository library for Canadian federal government documents. It also holds a partial depository collection of European Union publications.

The collection has only selected holdings of Newfoundland and Labrador government publications. A comprehensive collection of these government documents is held at the Centre for Newfoundland Studies. Government maps are in the Map Room on level 2 of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. The Map Room also houses print statistical materials from Statistics Canada, international government organizations and many national government agencies. For assistance with these materials please inquire at the Information and Research Help Desk.

Librarians

The collection is serviced and developed by two government documents librarians, Aspi Balsara and Angela Lonardo, who can be reached by telephone at (709) 864-7427.

Reference Service

Reference service for the government documents collection is available from the librarians noted above and from the librarians at the Research Help desk on level 2 of the Queen Elizabeth II Library.

Catalogue Access to the Collection [top}

With the exception of some microform titles, the government documents collection is included in the library catalogue.

The collection includes a large microfiche set of publications and reports published by Canadian federal and provincial government departments, institutions and research organizations. It is called the Canadian Research Index: CRI and dates back to the late 1970s. It is a particularly useful source for Canadian provincial government publications. A bibliographic index for the collection is available to Memorial University of Newfoundland students, faculty and staff through the Article Search link on the library's home page. Under the Indexes by Title section click on the letter "C" and select Canadian Research Index:CRI. The microfiche collection is located in the Microforms Room on level 1.

In addition, the collection contains a number of years of the United States Depository Publications Collection on Microform. Catalogues to this set are available at Monthly catalog of U.S. government publications, 1895-June 1976 and Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, covering July 1976 onwards.

Another sizeable microform collection includes the official documents of the United Nations and its main bodies, such as the General Assembly, Security Council and Secretariat. CD-ROM and web catalogues are available to identify relevant documents in the microform sets.

Borrowing

With the exception of Statistics Canada publications and some legislation, government documents may be borrowed.

Photocopying facilities are available on levels 2 and 3 of the Queen Elizabeth II Library.

Electronic Information

The Queen Elizabeth II Library holds a sizeable collection of government information in electronic format. These electronic resources can be identified by searching the Library Catalogue.

Memorial University libraries participate in the Data Liberation Initiative (DLI). The purpose of the DLI is to provide subscribing Canadian academic institutions with access to a significant collection of statistical data compiled by Statistics Canada. Further information about the DLI is available here.

The government doucments librarians have developed Internet pages to government information from Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, United Nations, European Union and other countries. Scroll up this page to the links in the upper left margin.

Guide/Pathfinders

The following are some guides to using various print and electronic government sources.

British Statutes and Parliamentary Papers at the QEII Library
CANSIM
European Court of Human Rights Portal Hudoc Database
Equinox and SPSS
Nation Series, Edition 4: 1996 Census Product on CD-ROM
Profile Series: 1996 Census Product on CD-ROM
U.S. Depository Publications Collection on Microform
Citation Guides for Government Documents:
Brief Guide to Citing Canadian Government Documents
(Sharon Musgrave, revised by Jeff Moon, Queen's University Library)
Citing Canadian Government Documents
(Elizabeth Watson and Janice Newton, York University Library)
How to Cite Statistics Canada Products



February 14, 2012
Aspi Balsara