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Boston
Public Library About Our Collections Government Documents |
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The
BPL has been collecting government publications since its founding in
1848 as the nation’s first large free public library. In 1859, the
U.S. House of Representatives designated the library a depository of
federal documents. The library participates in the Federal
Depository Library Program, which guarantees in perpetuity free
access to federal government information at 1300 libraries across the
country. There are thirty depository libraries located throughout Massachusetts. The library’s collection is one of the
largest in the country, containing more than three million government publications in all formats including print, microform, and
electronic.
The department also strives to collect, preserve, and make accessible a comprehensive collection of titles published by the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts . Materials include the Boston city ordinances and zoning regulations, the Central Register and the state building code. The department also houses the former Boston Redevelopment Authority library. Many of the library’s more recent holdings of state and city publications can be found in the State and Local Documents Database. Notable titles in the federal documents collection include a comprehensive collection of Congressional publications, including the Congressional Record, hearings and reports of Congressional committees, reports of the US General Accounting Office and the Congressional Research Service, and treaties to which the US is a signatory, as well as titles from every executive agency. The Government Documents Department has many indexes for finding these materials (as well as staff ready to help you). The department subscribes to the online and print versions of American Statistics Index, Index to International Statistics, and the Statistical Reference Index. Popular titles include FDA Consumer, Vital Statistics of the United States , Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Federal Reserve Bulletin, Public Papers of the Presidents, Foreign Relations of the United States, and the Monthly Labor Review. The department is also the place to find United States Census Bureau statistics and reports and maps from the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies. The Government Documents Department also serves as a depository for United Nations publications. Official publications of the UN General Assembly, Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council can be found here, as well as selected other materials from the United Nations and subsidiary bodies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and UNESCO. Also available in the department are a variety of legal research materials, including all of the opinions of the US Supreme Court and the federal courts, Federal Practice Digest, Massachusetts Practice, Massachusetts Digest, US Code Congressional and Administrative News, Massachusetts Reports, Massachusetts General Laws Annotated, Code of Massachusetts Regulations, American Law Reports, US Law Week, and regional case reporters containing decisions of higher courts in all of the states. We also keep a non-circulating collection of popular books for non-lawyers on such topics as immigration, family law, probate, wills and estates, neighbor law, consumer protection, tax law, and landlord/tenant law. We carry the National Law Journal and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Since November, 2002, the department has serviced the library’s large collection of patents and trademarks. Please refer to our Patent and Trademark Information web pages or to staff for questions about patents and trademarks.
Staff
are here to help you and welcome your questions.
You
may contact us by: | |
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