Celebrate Constitution Day (Tues. Sept. 17)! Very special guest presentation at 12:30!

Join us in celebrating the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution (Sept 17, 1787).
We will be marking the anniversary by giving out free pocket Constitutions to anybody who visits our Constitution trivia table (Monday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm).

We will have a very special guest at the Library today. The Father of our Country, George Washington, will be making a special appearance today as he will appear at the front of the library with a short address about the Constitution!  Afterwards he will be available to pose for photos.

Please also visit our Constitution Day guide at http://libguides.frostburg.edu/constitution. It contains a variety of links and videos to help you learn more about the Consitution. A display is also available, located immediately inside the library entrance.

Public notice: MD Dept of Housing & Community Development annual plan

The Maryland Dept. of Housing and Community Development has announced a series of public hearings to develop its new draft Annual Plan of the State's Consolidated Plan.


In Western Maryland, the meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 26.

Friday, May 24, 2019 at 1:30 p.m.

Allegany County Office Complex

701 Kelly Road

Potomac Room 230

Cumberland, MD 21502

Please see the original notice here: DHCD Annual Draft Plan notice

The Lewis J Ort library is a depository for Maryland State Documents as well as a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program.  As a Maryland depository, we receive public notices such as the one featured above.  If you would also like to be added to an e-mail distribution list in order to receive information about future public notices, please contact Lisa Hartman, Government Documents Coordinator at lahartman@frostburg.edu or (301) 687-4734.

CRS Reports - Great Sources for Research and Topic Ideas!

A long-time hidden treasure is now being made more accessible to the general public! Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports are now being shared with the public whenever possible.

CRS Staff perform the research that assists Members of Congress and Congressional Committees with information to help with important legislative decision-making. You can see some of the more recently published reports here.

 

To get an idea of the variety of information available, here is a sample list of reports:

•  The Internet of Things: Frequently Asked Questions
•  Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh: His Jurisprudence and Potential Impact on the Supreme Court
•  Brexit Deal Rejected: What Now?
• An Electric Grid Based on 100% Renewable Energy?
•  Issues in Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
• School Resource Officers: Issues for Congress
•  Nutrition labeling of Restaurant Menu and Vending Machine Items
• Housing Issues in the 115th Congress 

These reports can be used on their own as high-quality sources of information, idea-generators for new and interesting research topics, and as a resource to understand current discussions taking place in Congress!

Since the Ort Library is a member of the Federal Depository Library Program, these titles will also appear when you search the Library's OneSearch discovery tool or Catalog USMAI.

The Library of Congress is also taking steps to make older CRS Reports available through this site. Meanwhile, selected older reports are available through a variety of web sites including:

• University of North Texas Digital Library's CRS collection
•  EveryCRS Report.com
• National Agricultural Law Center
•  Federation of American Scientists 

  We hope that you find these helpful! Enjoy!

MD Public Notice, DHCD Annual Plan, Public Hearings

The Maryland Dept. of Housing and Community Development has announced a series of public hearings to develop its new draft Annual Plan of the State's Consolidated Plan.


In Western Maryland, the meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 26.

Friday, March 8, 2019 at 1:30 p.m.

Allegany County Office Complex

701 Kelly Road

Potomac Room 230

Cumberland, MD 21502

Please see the original notice here: DHCD Public Hearings for ANnual Plan update of State's Consolidated plan.

The Lewis J Ort library is a depository for Maryland State Documents as well as a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program.  As a Maryland depository, we receive public notices such as the one featured above.  If you would also like to be added to an e-mail distribution list in order to receive information about future public notices, please contact Lisa Hartman, Government Documents Coordinator at lahartman@frostburg.edu or (301) 687-4734.

Federal Government Shutdown - Potential Workarounds for Information Sources (Updated 1-18-19)

Since the Federal government shutdown began on December 22, 2018, most major agency websites are still available. However, most sites will not be updated.

Since some online resources may be affected.  Please monitor this list for potential workarounds.  If the resources listed below do not provide the information that you need,, please contact Lisa Hartman, Reference Librarian & Government DocumentsCoordinator (lahartman@frostburg.edu, 301-687-4734), or the reference desk (libref@frostburg.edu, 301-687-4424), for potential alternative sources.

This post will be updated as new information becomes available.

Selected non-government sources of Federal information:

• Beyond.gov (USC Aiken) (https://library.usca.edu/c.php?g=155790&p=1022005),  - A variety of alternatives to federal government agencies for federal government information.
• Maryland State Data Center (http://www.mdp.state.md.us/msdc/)
• Missouri Census Data Center (http://mcdc.missouri.edu/decennial-census/2010.shtml)
• Stats America (http://www.statsamerica.org/)
• Census/Investigative Reporters & Editors (http://census.ire.org/)
• Census Viewer (http://censusviewer.com/free-maps-and-data-links/)
• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (Univ. of Michigan) (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD)
• Quandl (Archived Datasets from a variety of agencies) (http://www.quandl.com/)

1/9/19 Update: This article lists some of the data that will not be available during the shutdown: 
The Data Casualties of the Federal Government Shutdown (Pew Research Center).

1/16/19 Update:

Federal agency websites unavailable due to shutdown: 

• Department of Commerce: 
• NOAA Divisions: 

• National Ocean Service - http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ 
• Oceanic and Atmospheric Research - http://research.noaa.gov/ 
• Climate.gov - http://climate.gov 
• Fishwatch.gov - http://www.fishwatch.gov/ 
• Office of Marine and Aviation Operations - http://www.omao.noaa.gov/ 
• National Ocean Service Podcasts - http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/ 
• National Estuarine Research Reserves - http://nerrs.noaa.gov/ 
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) - www.mbda.gov/ 
• USGS Publications - https://www.usgs.gov/products/publications/official-usgs-publications Please note: Older quadrangle maps of Maryland and surrounding states are available in the library's map collection.  
• Federal Trade Commission: 
  National Do Not Call Registry - https://www.donotcall.gov/ 
• IdentityTheft.gov - https://identitytheft.gov/  
• E-Consumer - https://econsumer.gov/  

1/17/19 Update - North Dakota State University libraries have compiled a list of sites and their operating status. This also includes to links and information about the shutdown: https://library.ndsu.edu/guides/government-shutdown-2019 

1/19/18 Update - Many websites, while originally remaining functional at the beginning of the shutdown are becoming inaccessible due to expired security certificates. This article describes the issue as well as lists sites with expired certificates and certificates which will soon expire.

Public Notice: MD Dept. of Housing & Community Development Consolidated Plan Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER)

The State of Maryland has opened a 30 day public comment period on the draft 2017 Consolidated Plan Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). This includes a series of public meetings.

In Western Maryland, the meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 26.

Friday, October 26, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Allegany County Office Complex

701 Kelly Road

Potomac Room 230

Cumberland, MD 21502

Please see the original notice here: 2017 Draft - Consolidated Plan Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).

A copy of the draft Annual Plan is available online at this link: https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Documents/Consolidated%20Plan/2017-Draft-CAPER.pdf.   A printed copy is also available at the Ort Library in the Maryland Documents files.

The Lewis J Ort library is a depository for Maryland State Documents as well as a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program.  As a Maryland depository, we receive public notices such as the one featured above.  If you would also like to be added to an e-mail distribution list in order to receive information about future public notices, please contact Lisa Hartman, Government Documents Coordinator at lahartman@frostburg.edu or (301) 687-4734.

Happy Constitution Day! Visit library for voter registration, Constitution trivia, and free pocket Constitutions!

Join us in celebrating the 231st anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution  (Sept 17, 1787) We will be marking the anniversary by giving out free pocket Constitutions to anybody who visits our Constitution trivia table (Monday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm).

Volunteers from the Office of Civic Engagement will also be available to help you register to vote. We have an election coming soon, this is your chance to make sure that you're ready for it!

Please also visit our Constitution Day guide at http://libguides.frostburg.edu/constitution. This year, we have added a page featuring the Supreme Court, including links where you can learn more about the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice.

We also have a display located immediately inside the library entrance. This year it features signers of the Constitution from Maryland.

Census Workshops - Wednesday August 22

The Ort Library is pleased to announce that we are once again hosting workshops to help you learn about the Census Bureau’s data tools.  Nesreen Khashan, Data Dissemination Specialist from the US Census Bureau will present a morning workshop on household data and then an afternoon session on business and economic data.

The workshop registration is free and they will take place on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at the Lewis J. Ort Library’s Library Instruction Center.

9:00 a.m. – Noon – Household / Demographic Data

1:00-3:00 p.m. – Economic/Business Data

You are welcome to register for either one or both workshops.

These workshops are open to the public. Due to limited seating, registration is required. You are welcome to register for one or both sessions. Register and watch for updates at http://libguides.frostburg.edu/censusworkshop.

     

Public Notice: MD Dept. of Housing & Community Development Draft Annual Plan

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has announced a series of public hearings to for comments on its new draft Annual Plan update of the State's Consolidated Plan.

In Western Maryland, the meeting is scheduled for Friday, July 20.

Friday, July 20, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Allegany County Office Complex

701 Kelly Road

Potomac Room 230

Cumberland, MD 21502

Please see the original notice here: MD DHCD Public Notice, Annual Plan.

A copy of the draft Annual Plan is available online at this link: http://dhcd.maryland.gov/Documents/Consolidated%20Plan/Draft2018AnnualActionPlan.pdf.  A printed copy is also available at the Ort Library in the Maryland Documents files.

The Lewis J Ort library is a depository for Maryland State Documents as well as a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program.  As a Maryland depository, we receive public notices such as the one featured above.  If  you would also like to be added to an e-mail distribution list in order to receive information about future public notices, please contact Lisa Hartman, Government Documents Coordinator at lahartman@frostburg.edu or (301) 687-4734.

Public Notice: Draft of MD DHCD's Consolidated Plan Annual Performance & Evaluation Report

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has distributed a public notice on a 30-day public comment period for the draft Consolidated Plan Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).

DHCD will accept written comments through Feb. 21, 2018. A series of public meetings will also be held in early February.  In western Maryland, there is a meeting scheduled for Friday, Feb. 9.

Friday, February 9, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Allegany County Office Complex

701 Kelly Road

Potomac Room 230

Cumberland, MD 21502

Please see this scan of the notice for additional information about the meeting: Maryland Dept. of Housing and Community Development Jan 23 2018 Public notice on CAPER.




The Lewis J Ort library is a depository for Maryland State Documents as well as a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program.  As a Maryland depository, we receive public notices such as the one featured above.  These notices are posted to a designated bulletin board on the  2nd floor of the Ort Library, but will also be posted regularly to the Ort Library Blog.  If  you would also like to be added to an e-mail distribution list in order to receive information about future public notices, please contact Lisa Hartman, Government Documents Coordinator at lahartman@frostburg.edu or (301) 687-4734.

Federal Government Shutdown Updates - Alternative Resources

During the Federal government partial shutdown, some online resources may be affected.  Please monitor this list for potential workarounds.  If the agency that you seek is not included, please contact Lisa Hartman, Reference Librarian & Government Documents Coordinator (lahartman@frostburg.edu, 301-687-4734), or the reference desk (libref@frostburg.edu, 301-687-4424), for potential alternative sources.  

This post will be updated as new information becomes available.


1/22/18 8:30 am update:

• General information on federal government - http://usa.gov is still functional.
• Census
• Census.gov is still functioning
• American Factfinder is still functioning.
• Alternative non-federal sources:
• Maryland State Data Center
• Missouri Census Data Center
• Stats America - http://www.statsamerica.org/ 
• Census/Investigative Reporters & Editors: http://census.ire.org/ 
• Census Viewer: http://censusviewer.com/free-maps-and-data-links/  
• Crime Statistics 
•  FBI Uniform Crime Reporting is still functioning
• Alternative non-federal sources:
• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (Univ. of Michigan) - http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACJD
• Education
• ERIC is still functioning
• Various Statistics
  • Quandl (Archived Datasets from a variety of agencies - http://www.quandl.com/
  •  Beyond.gov (USC Aiken) - https://library.usca.edu/c.php?g=155790&p=1022005,  - A variety of alternatives to federal government agencies for federal government information.

Additional sources of information about the shutdown:

• "Dark websites"
• NSF.gov 
• As of 1/22/18 at 8:00 am, many of the agency web sites that were dark during the 2013 shutdown are still functioning. However, they are most likely not being regularly updated. (Many agencies have a message stating this on their home page.)

50th anniversary celebration - Thank you!

Thank you to all who stopped by to celebrate our 50th anniversary with the Federal Depository Library Program on Monday! We hope you enjoyed your treats!

While the anniversary has now passed, displays about the program and highlighted documents will remain available this month. Stop by and see the type of information that can be found in our government documents area! Also, please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about how we can help you with research in government information.

Celebrate with us! 50 Years in the FDLP

Monday, December 4, 2017 will mark the library's 50th anniversary as a member of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)!

We will be celebrating with cake and refreshments from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the government documents area (2nd floor) today! Please drop by join us in our celebration!

“#Fireworks :)” by Epic Fireworks is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Ort Library is proud to participate as a member of the FDLP.  As a member, we have access to a selection of Federal government documents. This includes documents which are published online. In addition to the documents themselves, the program offers training opportunities for library staff and a network of other participating libraries so that we can help you better with your government information needs!

Feel free to ask if you would like to learn more about the program, or if you have any current needs for government information or data. 

Meanwhile, please take some time to view the displays this month which focus on the FDLP program and the variety of information included!

You can also learn more about the Ort library's documents collection as well as the FDLP at these links:

Ort Library, Government Documents Guide

FDLP Mission & History

Regional Depository for MD-DE-DC (McKeldin Library, UMCP)