Navigation Menu Introduction Government Knowledge Academic Knowledge Private Sector Knowledge What is a book? What is a periodical? Government Documents Non-Print Material Quiz

Information Produced by the Government Most of the knowledge produced in the United States is either done by, or funded by, federal, state or local government agencies. Elected officials need information about society in order to make economic, social, and political policy decisions. As a result government agencies at all levels collect information about society and perform research. Because the information and knowledge generated by the government is done with public tax dollars, the government is under an obligation to provide citizens with access to the information at little or no additional cost. Historically this has been done through the government library depository system. In the depository system federal, state and local governments identify specific libraries as depositories. Individual government agencies then submit copies of their publications to be placed in the depository libraries. The documents are often in print format; however, some government agencies will submit their documents in microform format. In the past few years, with the rise of the Internet, these same government agencies now publish their information online. As a result citizens can access much of this government information at their local library or at home via an Internet connection. Online access to government information is convenient but it also presents problems. Chief among these problems is the long-term preservation of the information. As computer systems change there is no guarantee that the information will be compatible with future computer technology. Consequently, much of the information could be lost. As a result of the instability of electronic storage mediums, librarians and other professional groups argue for the continuation of the library depository system which guarantees continued access to print copies of the information.  Although librarians and other civil liberty groups think that most government information should be free and open to the public, many people in the government think otherwise and find ways to block access. Government information can be classified as confidential and therefore not available to the public. Government agencies can hide information or take years to publish it, thereby making it less valuable. And under the guise of efficiency, many government agencies sell their data to private sector information companies who repackage it and sell it back to libraries and the public for a profit. This adds an additional layer of cost to the information which can result in people not being able to afford access to the information. Take a look at the following government Web sites and see the variety of information that is available to you. Federal Government Resources THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet  Information by and about the U.S. Congress and links to other federal government Web sites.    Official Federal Government Web Sites Links to federal executive and independent agencies. State Government Resources  State of South Dakota Homepage Links to South Dakota executive, legislative and judicial Web sites and other helpful resources.   Local Government Resources  City of Aberdeen Home Page When you are finished click on the "Continue" button and go to the next lesson.