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Find + borrow - US Gov Docs

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U.S. Government Documents

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The David W. Howe Memorial Library has a large collection of materials published by the U.S. government.

Howe Library is one of more than 1,000 federal depository libraries. Congress designated these libraries to provide public access to information published by the U.S. government. In addition to welcoming UVM community members, we welcome all Vermont community members to explore this collection. Learn about the collection and how you can use these materials.

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More about the FDLP

Congress established the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) in 1813 and it continues to preserve the historical legacy of our government documentation for all. 

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Where is the collection and how can I use it?

  • Most of the physical collection is on Howe Library’s ground floor and available whenever the library is open. We store some publications off-site in the Library Research Annex. You may request that these publications be brought to Howe Library to use. 
  • You can find materials published from 1976 to present day using our library catalog.
  • To find materials published before 1976, please ask a librarian at the reference desk on the main floor.
  • Most federal documents may be checked out to UVM students, faculty members and staff members, and to those who hold UVM guest borrower cards. Learn more about who can use the libraries.

Ask for help

  • Learn more about this collection from our Government Information research guide.
  • To get started or for help finding a government publication on the shelf, stop by the reference desk on the main floor of Howe.
  • For in-depth questions or consultations, please request an appointment with a librarian by emailing Government Documents or by calling (802) 656-2542. In your message, include several days and times you are available.

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Stack of aged books sitting on government documents shelf

What's in this collection?

  • Books, journals, pamphlets, posters, reports, transcripts, maps, manuals, laws, court decisions and more.
  • Approximately 900,000 publications dating from the 1700s to the present in various formats — print, online, microfiche, CD-ROM, DVD, and Braille.
  • Materials from all three branches of the U.S. government covering a wide range of topics like health, art, agriculture, anthropology, law, environment, business, trade, military and much more.

Get started with this collection

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From insurrection to cottage-cheese recipes

Photographed: A small pamphlet from the Department of Agriculture titled "Making cottage cheese at home" and a thick volume from Congress titled "Final Report, Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol" illustrate the diversity of the U.S. government documents collection.

Final Report: January 6th capitol riots; Pamphlet: making cottage cheese

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Government documents in the library are not limited to this collection. Here are some related topics:

 

Collections published by the state of Vermont

The U.S. Government Documents collection contains some information about Vermont, but it does not contain information published by the state of Vermont. To find information published by the state, please contact our Silver Special Collections Library at Jack and Shirley Silver Special Collections Library.

 

Patent and Trademark Resource Center

UVM Patent and Trademark Resource Center in Howe Library is one of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent and Trademark Resource Centers. PTRCs support patent research and trademark research. PTRC services are free and open to the public. See The UVM Patent and Trademark Resource Center for more information. Email the UVM PTRC or call (802) 656-2542.