Government Documents The Mark O. Hatfield Library at Willamette University, located in the 5th United States Congressional District of Oregon, was designated a selective Federal Depository Library in 1969. The library participates in the Depository Library Program as outlined in Title 44 in the United States Code, and as administered by the United States Government Printing Office. According to the requirements of this program, the library promotes usage and provides access to government information as required by members of the Willamette University Community, residents of the City of Salem, and the inhabitants of the 5th U.S. Congressional District. The primary user group of the Government Documents collection is the Willamette community. In addition, the library strives to provide access to government information to serve the needs of the constituents of the 5th Congressional District, as required by law. The District includes the cities of Salem and Corvallis, as well as Lincoln, Tillamook, and Polk Counties. According to the 1990 Census, the population of the District is 568,712. 91% is White, 5% are of Hispanic origin, and the remaining 4% include Asian, Black, and American Indians. Selection Selection of government documents and supporting materials is made by the Periodicals and Government Documents Librarian, in cooperation with departmental liaison librarians. A review of the selection profile with the Federal Depository Library Program is conducted annually. Other depository libraries, including the Willamette University Law Library, Oregon State Library, and Western Oregon State College are consulted during this review. The library currently selects approximately 20% of the materials available through the Federal Depository Library Program. This figure may change as the information needs of the community served change over time. In general, the following criteria are used to determine the item selection profile: Support of Willamette University's academic programs Availability of information in other sources Technical level of material Geographic area covered (especially Pacific Northwest materials) General user interest Fulfillment of responsibility to keep citizens informed Holdings of other depository libraries in the area Scope and level of collecting The primary purpose of the Government Documents collection at the Hatfield Library is to support the educational programs at Willamette University. Based on size and strength of academic departments, the following subject areas are given high priority when determining item selections: Earth Science Economics Education Environmental Science Health and Medicine History Politics In support of the graduate program in management, librarians select government publications in the areas of accounting, business, finance, government, human resources, organizational behavior, public policy, and quantitative methods. Generally, annual administrative reports of federal executive and administrative agencies, as well as major statistical compilations from statistics producing agencies are comprehensively collected. In addition, the library's selection profile includes comprehensive collection of publications from the following U.S. government agencies: Bureau of the Census Bureau of Labor Statistics Executive Office of the President Congress (including supporting legislative agencies and commissions) Additionally, numerous publications are selected from: Department of Commerce Department of Education Department of Health and Human Services Library of Congress Smithsonian Institution Small Business Administration Department of State Because major compilations of federal laws, rules and regulations, administrative decisions and rulings are maintained by the Law Library, the Hatfield Library does not select these materials. In addition, the Hatfield Library generally does not collect government publications that come in the form of maps, posters, or forms. Because of its relatively recent designation as a depository library, the Hatfield Library does not maintain a historical document collection. Users are generally referred to the Oregon State Library, or other area libraries with major historical collections, including Portland State University (regional depository), University of Oregon, and Oregon State University. Some effort is made to add historical documents to the collection when they are offered by other depositories in the region. Needs and offers lists and listservs are scanned regularly to identify these materials. Formats The Library attempts to select government information in formats that are appropriate to content and usage. Formats available include paper, microfiche, and electronic files. When the option is available, paper is preferred to microfiche. Electronic files are selected according to the criteria set forth in the Electronic Resources Statement. Weeding and retention The Government Documents collection is regularly evaluated, and documents that no longer fit the selection criteria are withdrawn at the discretion of the Periodicals and Government Documents Librarian. Withdrawals are done in accordance with depository regulations as stated in the Instructions to Depository Libraries and guidelines established by the regional depository library in Oregon. Documents that are considered candidates for withdrawal include: Superseded publications Executive summaries (for which the full report has been received) Newsletter and announcements of minimal value after 5 years Duplicate copies (primarily gifts) Damaged or poorly preserved documents that are available in other local depository libraries Access Bibliographic access to the government documents collection is provided by the Hatfield Library Catalog, GPO's Monthly Catalog, and other reference tools available in the library. All documents received from January 1996 to the present are cataloged; older documents will be cataloged as time and staff resources allow. Reference assistance is provided at the library's Reference Desk during regularly scheduled hours. Microfiche reader/printers are maintained by the library to provide access to the government documents microfiche collection. Written by: Arlene Weible Periodicals and Government Documents Librarian Willamette University Last updated: 5/98