How do I look up government documents in Omni?
If you don't know the exact title of a document, do a keyword search.
- Think of keywords that describe the topic.
- If you know which government department produces this information, include some words from its name in your search statement.
- In Omni, from the library's home page or on the Omni Basic Search screen, type your keywords directly into the search box.
Example: Looking for a report by a committee of the House of Commons on sport in Canada.
sport canada house commons committee
How do I find a government document on the shelf?
The Government Documents collection is located on the Lower Level of Stauffer Library. The following directions assume that you are at the bottom of the spiral staircase looking into the collection.
There are several areas within the collection. When you look up a document in Omni, note the Queen's Library and Queen's Location. These headings can be found using the facets (filters) on the left-hand side of your search results, but the library and location information is also found in Omni's description of the item.
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Documents
- This location includes items from Canada and the United Nations, with call numbers starting with CA or UN.
- When you reach the bottom of the spiral staircase, this location is diagonally off to the left, and covers a large proportion of the library's lower level.
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Documents (Compact Shelving)
- This location includes items from the United Kingdom, United States and some intergovernmental organizations, with call numbers starting with UK, US, or ZZ.
- This location is the area behind the sprial staircase. Follow the posted instructions for moving the shelves.
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Documents (Reference)
- This location includes items from a variety of jurisdictions, but will mostly have call numbers starting with CA, UK, UN and US.
- This location begins on the half-height shelves directly in front of the spiral staircase, and continues along the wall diagonally to the right.
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Documents (Folio Shelves)
- This location is for large items from a variety of jurisdictions, but will mostly have call numbers starting with CA, UK, UN and US.
- They are the shelves at the far end of the lower level, across from the washrooms, to the left of the entrance to the Map and Air Photo Collection.
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Compact Shelving
- This location includes items from a variety of subject areas, not just government documents.
- The government documents included here are on the 4th floor, are published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and generally have call numbers beginning with ZZ EC... or ZZ ED...
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Microform
- This location includes items from a variety of subject areas, not just government documents.
- The government documents included here located along the East wall of the lower level of Stauffer Library, beginning with a set of filing cabinets under a sign saying "Microlog".
Joseph S. Stauffer Library, Storage - Ask at Information Desk
- This location includes items from a variety of subject areas, not just government documents.
- You can't visit this location yourself. You will need to request access to the item at the library's information desk.
- The government documents currently in storage are generally from countries other than Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but US state-level publications are located here, as are some less-used materials from Canada. These items are retrieved by request.
I have looked in the right location but I can't find the call number on the shelf. How do the call numbers work?
Government documents are coded using a system called CODOC which is different from the Library of Congress call numbers used elsewhere in the library. There are three things to keep in mind:
- The spaces in the call number are important. Don't think of the call number as one long string of characters. Look at it one section at a time.
Example:
ZZ EC 93E88 comes before ZZ EC21 M12
- Serials (journals, annual reports, etc.) come before monographs (books).
The last part of the CODOC number for a serial starts with a letter. (e.g. B76)
The last part of the CODOC number for a book starts with a number. (e.g. 95R27)
Example:
CA2 ON SC B76 comes before CA2 ON SC 95R27
- In CODOC all numbers are whole numbers (i.e. they are not filed as decimals).
I have a call number for microform that says "DOCS MICROLOG". How do I find it and how can I read it?
- Along the East wall of the Lower Level of Stauffer Library is a set of filing cabinets with a sign saying Microlog.
- The Microlog microfiche are filed in these cabinets in numerical order. Note: If the drawer won't open, check to see if any others are slightly open and push them in. Only one drawer can be open at a time (a safety precaution).
- When you remove the fiche, put a "Microfiche in Use" card it its place so we can find the spot to refile it more easily.
- Microform readers/scanners are located near the entrance to the Map and Air Photo collection, on the lower level of Stauffer Library. Instructions are posted next to the machines. You can also get help using the machines from the circulation desk on the ground floor of Stauffer Library.
- When you are finished, please place the microfiche (in its envelope) in the box on top of the filing cabinet. We refile the microfiche.
For more information, refer to the library's Microforms page.
I'm looking for Microfiche 390. Where do I find it?
Queen's theses on microfiche are listed in Omni as microfiche 390. They are filed alphabetically by author so make a note of the author's name. Go to the filing cabinet to your right and check in the drawers labelled Microfiche No. 390.
See the instructions above for reading microfiche.
