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Government Documents & Information: Documents Call Number System

Information from the federal, state, local and international governments

Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc)

The SuDoc call number system was created in the late 1800s/early 1900s . The classification scheme is based on the issuing agency.  One of the interesting consequences of this scheme is that long running titles may have different call numbers over the years as the federal government reorganizes. For instance, military materials may be from the War Department (W), Dept. of the Army (M), Dept. of the Navy (N) and currently from the Dept. of Defense (D). A more recent example is the change that occurred when several government agencies were moved from Treasury and Transportation Depts., etc. to form the the Homeland Security Dept. The library will probably not retrospectively renumber the titles with the call numbers of a new agency. The Census Bureau was originally established under the Dept. of the Interior and later moved to the Dept. of Commerce. Census volumes may be found in both the I and C areas of the classification code.

   

A

Agriculture Department

JU

Judiciary

C

Commerce Department

L

Labor Department

C 3

Census Bureau (Commerce Department)

LC

Library of Congress

D

Defense Department

NAS

NASA

E

Energy Department

NS

National Science Foundation

ED

Education Department

PR

President of the United States

EP

Environmental Protection Agency

PREX

Executive Office

GA

Government Accountability Office

S

State Department

GS

General Services Administration

SBA

Small Business Administration

HE

Health & Human Services Department

SE

Securities & Exchange Commission

HH

Housing and Urban Development

SI

Smithsonian Institute

HS

Homeland Security Department

SSA

Social Security Administration

I

Interior Department

T

Treasury Department

I 19.

US Geological Survey

TD

Transportation Department

J

Justice Department

VA

Veterans Administration

The Oklahoma Publications Clearing House also uses an agency based classification system. A description and chart are being created.