The collection, says Scott Schaffer, library assistant professor, "is not dry, like some people think." As evidence of that, the exhibit includes a report on the response to Hurricane Katrina, a N.A.S.A. account of the search for extraterrestrial life, and a study on the World Trade Center's building performance.
The collection "allows people the opportunity to really look at the real, primary sources," Schaffer says, some of which date back to the 18th century. "We want to give people a sense of the breadth of government documents," he says, "and that, in fact, federal government information includes almost anything you could think of-from congress to federal agencies to the courts. And it covers a range of topics-the environment, the military, space exploration, agriculture, forestry."
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) provides these documents at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country and territories. Depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access to government information in an impartial environment with professional assistance. Ninety percent of UVM's collection has been hand-selected by librarians on campus.
The exhibit is on display in the library through March 9.