GPO ACCESS


The GPO Access is an online service of the U. S. Government Printing Office. Databases include Congressional Bills; Congressional Record; Congressional Record Indexes; History of Bills; Federal Register; United States Code; Public Laws; the Unified Regulatory Agenda and GAO Reports.

WHERE CAN YOU DO THE SEARCH?

The GPO Access is on U.S. Government Information Gopher and is available on any computer which has access to SAGE. With the right connection, you can search from the Library, your office, or home.

HOW DO YOU START THE SEARCH?

On SAGE, choose UVM & State Resources from the  main menu, enter. Then choose Bailey/Howe Library Gopher, enter twice. Under US Government Information, choose #3 GPO ACCESS.
Login as guest, enter.
Terminal type: term = (VT 100), enter.

HELPING HINTS FOR USING GPO ACCESS

1. Selecting a database:
At the list of SOURCE SELECTION, type the database number (e.g. 1) or use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the database name of your choice. Then press the SPACE BAR.

2. Entering a search string:
Type w to go to the KEYWORD prompt, type the words or phrases that you wish to search. Remember that the connectors (ADJ, AND, OR, NOT) must always be in upper case letters.
(Control-u will clear the query)

3. Viewing the document:
Use the SPACE BAR to retrieve and view the document.

4. Returning to the SEARCH RESULTS list:
When you are finished viewing a document, type a lower case q at the end of a screen. You will get the message "press any key to continue". press a key will return you to the SEARCH RESULTS list.

5. Mail the document:
If you want to mail the document to yourself or someone else, at the SEARCH RESULTS list, highlight the document, and press m, enter the email address.

6. Signing off:
When you are ready to sign off, enter q.

Important keys to help you accomplish the search:

arrow key	Move down and up one item
<return>	Display current item
<space>	Move down one screen
m		Mail document to E-mail address
w		Select new keyword
?		Show the help display
q		Search Results Screen

FEDERAL REGISTER (Beginning in 1994)

The Federal Register is published by the Office of the Federal Register, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. It is the official publication for Presidential documents and Executive Orders as well as Notices, Rules and Proposed Rules from Federal agencies and organizations.

Sample Searches:

1. Table of Contents; Date
Query: contents AND date=2/15/95

2. Agency Name and Subject
Query: "environmental protection agency" AND "toxic release"

3. Final/Proposed Rules
Query: rules= "prisoners of war"

4. Federal Register Citation
Query: "page 2767"
Alternate: page ADJ 2767

CONGRESSIONAL BILLS (Beginning with the 103rd Congress)


The Congressional Bills database contains all published versions of each bill from the specified Congress. Each bill is available as an ASCII text file.

Sample Searches:

1. Subject
Query: "Foreign trade" AND Japan

2. Bill Number
Query: "h.r. 2"

3. Name
Query: "Mr Sanders"

4. Subject and Sponsor
Query: "health care" AND gephardt

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (Beginning in 1994)

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceeding and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session.

Sample Searches

1. Senator by Name
Query: "Mrs Kassebaum" AND ("child pornography" OR "child abuse")

2. Bill Number
query: "h.r. 2"

3. Subject and Date
Query: "immigrant control" AND date=2/6/95

4. Lobby List
Query: "lobby list" AND date<3/1/95

5. Congressional Record Citation
Query: page ADJ S1843

PUBLIC LAWS OF THE 104TH CONGRESS

The Public Laws of the 104th Congress are prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Each law is first published at slip law and then compiled into a volume of the Statutes-at-Large.

Sample Searches

1. Public Law Number
Query: "public law 104-1"
alternate: public ADJ law ADJ 104 ADJ 1

2. US code citation
Query: "40 usc 166"

3. Statutes-at Large Citation
Query: "109 stat 3"

4. congressional Bill Number
Query: "s.2" or "h.r. 2"

5. Subject
Query: "medical leave" AND (congress OR house    OR senate OR legislative)

THE UNITED STATES CODE

The United States Code is prepared and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. It is the codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States. The U.S. code database contains the text of laws in effect as of January 24, 1994.

Use the same search methods of Public Law to search U.S. Code.

THE GAO REPORTS (1995)

The General Accounting Office (GAO) conducts audits, survey, investigations and evaluations of Federal programs. GAO's findings and recommendations are published as reports to members of Congress or delivered as testimony to Congressional committees. The GAO Reports database contains all published reports, except correspondence and reports that are restricted or classified.

Sample Searches

1. Report Number
Query: "HEHS-95-42"

2. Subject
Query: Child* ADJ (health OR care OR abuse)
Alternate: "child* health" OR "child* care" OR  "child* abuse"

3. Date range
Query: date=1/1/95 TO 1/31/95 AND trade
alternate: "january 1995" AND trade

************************************************************
Under each database, detail searching help is available. Do a keyword search, help.
************************************************************

Adapted from the "Helping Hints for Searching GPO ACCESS"
D&M QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE #10

Contributed by Yan Hong,   1/96 (update)
Documents & Maps Department
University of Vermont
Bailey/Howe Library
Burlington, VT 05405-0036
802-656-2542