Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The first library we visited was the Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department. As long as the name may sound, this library, out of the several numbers of libraries at the university, contained numerous resources. Known in short as GovInfo, this library was established in 1876, but contains materials dating to time periods as far back as the 1700s, making it one of the oldest and largest U.S. government document depositories in the nation. It is open to both the Northwestern community and the general public, even though its circulation policies may be relatively stringent.
The resources GovInfo provides for its users encompass a fairly wide range. The library primarily stores government documents such as congressional reports, presidential papers, demographic and financial reports from the federal, state, and local governments. Documents and papers from international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union also are included in the collection. The library also has a vast collection of maps of all types. Some include navigational charts dating as far back as the 1600s. In complement to the collection of maps, the department has also devised what they call the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The GIS is commonly used to analyze general trends in landscape and demographics over the course of history. Lastly, the Social Science Data Services (SSDS) is a function that supports research by providing primary resources for secondary analysis.
For more info, visit www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo