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Morris Library recognized for participation in federal program

BY BLACKWELL THOMAS, The Southern

Friday, November 9, 2007 10:57 PM CST

CARBONDALE - Anyone trying to study in the McLafferty Annex library Friday afternoon at Southern Illinois University Carbondale might have been distracted.

Amid the rows of books, officials took time to gather and recognize the university's 75th year as a participant in the U.S. Federal Depository Library Program.

About 36 people were on hand to commemorate the library's relationship with the depository, which sees a steady flow of information on the federal government sent to the library.

Chocolate cake capped a brief set of speeches from officials, including keynote speaker Charley Seavy, a former information librarian.

There are correspondences from Abraham Lincoln, volumes from the U.S. Bureau of Entomology and CIA reports on the Cuban Missile Crisis. According to library officials, much of the history of the federal government from 1789 to present day is available for viewing.

Government Information Librarian Jian Anna Xiong said the depository offers information on almost every imaginable aspect of the federal government.

"There are 400,000 documents on paper and about 900,000 on microfiche," she said. "It's almost every area of American history: political science, race issues, slavery, taxes, health."

In explaining the importance of the federal depository program, David Carlson, SIUC's dean of libraries, said the program helps shine a light on the democratic process.

But, Carlson said the collection doesn't get viewed as much as it might because of its location on the edge of campus.

"Well, there's certainly reduced traffic because it's in a relatively remote spot," he said.

There are about 1,000 federal depository libraries across the country.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

351-5823