Government Publications Department: What’s Up, Docs?

When you think about government documents, what comes to mind? Of course, students and researchers peruse the vast array of Senate and House reports or pore over the current and archived census data. The scope of Federal documents actually covers a much wider range of topics.

It has been said that space is the final frontier. The Government Publications Department has thousands of documents published by NASA about space exploration and the cosmos. In Origins 2003, NASA relates its mission "to understand and protect our home planet...to explore the universe and search for life..." The International Space Station has generated a treasure trove of materials on manned experiences in the vacuum of outer space. NASA's First 50 Years presents a wide array of scholars evaluating and critiquing NASA's overall performance and prospects for the future.

Official war documents and chronicles abound in the collection. Whether relating first-hand accounts of the U.S. Army in Vietnam in the 1960s or the Army's commemoration of World War II operations in factual accounts like To Bizerte With the II Corps, the serious researcher and the casual reader have a valuable resource waiting to be utilized.

The Government Publications Department provides immediate access to official publications from the Federal government. Knowledgeable librarians are available to answer questions, assist with research and retrieve items from closed stacks. The Department is located on the fifth floor of the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 South State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60605. Call (312) 747-4500.