Government Documents Policy and Procedure Guide: Microfiche

We recently heard from the Library Systems Office (LSO) that after June 30, we would no longer have access to the Statistical Reference Index (SRI) module of Lexis Nexis Statistical. ASI and IIS modules remain. For this “Tip of the Week” I will focus on the three CIS products that contribute to the LexisNexis Statistical database: the American Statistics Index (ASI), the Index to International Statistics (IIS) and the Statistical Reference Index (SRI). I will also tell about the microfiche sets that accompany these three index products, and explain how to use them in cases where we do not own the referenced sources in print.

What do ASI, IIS and SRI cover?

• The Statistical Reference Index (SRI) covers statistics from state, municipal and private sector publications.
• The American Statistics Index (ASI) provides data published by federal sources. It includes major statistical and research agencies, as well as regulatory agencies, congressional committees, judicial offices, special councils, commissions and boards, and many other sources of economic, demographic, and social statistics.
• The Index to International Statistics (IIS) provides coverage of statistical publications from major international intergovernmental organizations.

What should we use now that SRI is not part of our LN Statistical subscription?

We still have print volumes for 1980-2002 on the DOCS-REF shelf (see MERLIN record for the printed volumes.) The paper subscription was cancelled in 2002, so we have a gap for coverage for 2003 to the present. As an alternative, if you need state or local government statistics, I suggest you use our Government Documents web pages with links for Missouri statistics and statistics for other states. I don’t know of a good alternate way to get indexing for statistics reported in private sector publications.

How do I access our fiche sets?

They used to be in Documents Cave. Now the ASI and SRI fiche collections are in offsite storage (UMLD) and requestable at the piece level through patron-initiated loan. To request fiche, you will need the fiche number. There are a couple of ways to get it. It is shown in LexisNexis Statistical when you click to view the “Full Record” for any table you bring up Big hint: the fiche number will always begin with SRI, ASI or IIS. The other way to get a fiche number is to use the printed index/abstract volumes. When requesting fiche, it will be necessary to indicate the year and the fiche number.

• MERLIN shows our ASI Fiche set covers 1974-2007
• MERLIN shows our SRI Fiche set covers 1980-1986
• MERLIN shows our IIS Fiche set covers 1983-present

Contains microfiche copies of the Serial Set from 1789 – 1969. Includes:

• Congressional journals, administrative reports, directories, manuals, etc.
• Congressional committee reports on public and private legislation
• Reports resulting from congressionally commissioned investigations
• Annually submitted reports and communication from executive agencies
• Extended series of survey, research, and statistical publications of agencies
• Selected annual or special reports of nongovernmental agencies

and others, organized in roughly chronological, sequential order. Later volumes are available in print.

This set includes full-text copies of transcripts of Senate and House hearings from the 1830s to the 1930s.

This microfiche series offers full-text copies of selected unpublished senate committee hearings transcripts not available elsewhere. 18th to 90th Congress.

This set contains committee prints intended primarily for use internal to congressional committees from the 1830s to 1969. These include:

• Monographic studies on topics of public concern
• Investigative field reports
• Analyses of bills and comparative prints of bills
• Confidential staff memoranda and reports
• Departmental reports on legislation or policy
• Directories, bibliographies and other reference materials
• Statistical compilations
• Hearings publications
• Drafts of reports and bills

For prints from 1970 onward, use the CIS Index and the CIS Microfiche Library.

Consists of selected United Nations documents made available in microfiche.  Includes certain yearbooks, Official Records, sales publications and other documents.

Full-text copies of house bills, resolutions, joint resolutions and concurrent resolutions.

Full-text copies of senate bills, resolutions, joint resolutions and concurrent resolutions.

The Publications Reference File (PRF) contains listings of items that were for sale through GPO from 1994-1999.  The PRF ceased when the Sales Product Catalog became available online at the GPO Bookstore. 

Includes reports from various governmental advisory organizations covering various topics. Sporadic coverage to 1987.

This microfiche collection contains the full-text of declassified U.S. government documents from the years immediately following World War II to the present.

Includes:

• Audit reports 1968 – 1999
• House journals 1986 – 1994   (No separate index)
• Senate journals 1986 – 1996  (No separate index)
• Miscellaneous Missouri docs published in fiche format

There is no single MERLIN record for this collection because it comprises many titles.

This microfiche collection focuses on basic economic, demographic, industrial and social statistics of general research value, national or international in scope. Included are:

• Primary data
• Secondary data presented for analytic or comparative purposes
• Original research data of general interest
• Bibliographic and methodological works that aid in understanding using statistics publications
• Program and budget statistics of IGOs

Excluded are:

• Data of very limited interest
• Highly scientific or technical research data and publications
• Internal administrative data

Years up to 2007 are at UMLD and requestable by fiche number.  2008 to the present is located in cabinets outside the north side of the Documents office.  The drawers are labeled “IIS.”

This microfiche collection contains virtually all the statistical publications indexed by ASI from 1974 to 2007. These include most publications from the major US statistical agencies:

• Agricultural Statistics Board
• Bureau of the Census
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Energy Information Administration
• National Center for Education Statistics
• National Center for Health Statistics

as well as some smaller statistical agencies, program-specific statistical publications and special studies. For more see the print version.

Located at UMLD, requestable by fiche number. See Merlin record.

Provides access to business, financial and social statistical data.

Included are:

• National data
• Statewide data
• Data on foreign countries
• Local or narrowly-focused data

At UMLD, requestable by fiche number