The Loyola University Libraries System offers a variety of research tools for students, faculty and staff. At Cudahy Library, patrons can find a wealth of information in areas such as the humanities, sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and the University Archives. One collection that is a hidden gem at Cudahy Library is the Government Documents collection. Whether a patron wants to find the latest statistics on HIV from the CDC, learn more about Homeland Security, or take a look at recipes that highlight Illinois food products, the Government Information collection is the place to look. William Cuthbertson, Government Documents & Data Services Librarian, uncovers the treasures of the Government Documents collection.

According to Cuthbertson, a government document is classified as anything that is distributed to a depository library through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The process for which an institution becomes a Federal Depository begins with a recommendation by a Federal official. Each congressional district may have two depository libraries designated by a U.S. Representative, and each State may have two depository libraries designated by each U.S. Senator. In addition to its two Senators, Illinois currently has 19 House Representatives.

As patrons enter Cudahy Library, they might notice stickers near the middle of the front doors that looks like this:

The stickers are used to indicate that an institution is a designated depository. Loyola University Chicago is one of 56 Federally designated depository libraries in the state of Illinois, having been added to the program in 1966. Documents that the FDLP distributes to designated depositories are part of an item list and categorized by an item number. Twice a year, Cuthbertson decides which items will be added to the Government Documents collection. Items can be removed from the list of materials the library gets from FDLP at any time. Cudahy library receives about 3 shipments a month from the FDLP. These documents come as print materials, CD-ROMs, maps, and microfiche, all of which are free of charge provided that the library ensures public access to everything in the collection. A bulk of what the library gets comes from the Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control, but a fair amount of other documents such as judiciary materials from the Supreme Court and microfiche from the U.S. Senate are also given to the library. Cuthbertson explained that because Cudahy Library is a selective depository, obtaining about 32 percent of what is available through the FDLP, the materials the library gets are customized. This allows the library to receive government documents that fall more in line with the academic programs LUC offers. All government documents that the library receives from the FDLP must be kept for a minimum of 5 years.

Cudahy Library is also one of 24 Illinois State depository libraries, a separate program managed by the Illinois Secretary of State. The collection of materials that the Illinois Documents Depository Program distributes is much smaller than that of the FDLP, but still includes a variety of publications such as information on health related issues, bike maps, cookbooks, and materials on radiation (due to the 13 nuclear plants located in Illinois). The library receives everything that the IDDP has to offer, including documents from the state legislative branch. Like materials from the FDLP, all Illinois documents come free of charge, must be publicly accessible, and are kept for at least 7 years.

As with a lot of resources such as newspapers and journals, many government documents have made the move from print to an online format. One example of this is information given by the Census Bureau, which has become more and more electronic in recent years. This has led to the question of whether or not a designated depository still serves a purpose. Cuthbertson answered that question by pointing out that "the government is probably the largest compiler of statistics in the world. It is health research, defense and military research, and demographic research." Therefore, there are several advantages to having a designated depository available for people to visit.

First, the information that the depository receives is directly from the government rather than "repackaged and sold to the public commercially." Second, a depository guarantees public access to government materials that might otherwise not be available to everyone, such as to those who do not have internet access. Third, there is such a great deal of information available from the government that patrons may feel overwhelmed as they sort through it. However, a depository librarian can guide patrons to the answers they need. A downside to providing government information online is that publications housed at government Web sites can be removed by the government at any given time, making it unavailable to the public from thereon. By contrast, at a depository a library patron often has access to the actual published document, therefore making it more difficult for the government to simply remove it from the collection. Finally, the depository helps keep information free from political bias by "providing a buffer between government as author and government as political mechanism", said Cuthbertson.

Cuthbertson is confident that as more people discover how much information is stored in the Government Document collection and how access to such materials can be of great use to them, the demand and interest in government documents will increase. Cuthbertson went on to say "there is no area at the university that doesn't benefit from or use government information, whether they know it or not". The Government Documents collection is located primarily in Stack Deck A of Cudahy Library, with some items in the reference collection and the main stacks. For more information on the Government Documents Collection, visit the Depository Web site at http://libraries.luc.edu/documents.