The U.S. Department of the Defense has been documenting the Vietnam Conflict from the perspective of the military commanders and now has several publications to offer researchers, former military and interested public.  The latest book in the series is MACV: The Joint Command in the Years of Withdrawal, 1968-1973 (D 114.7/3:J 66).  This is the second volume by the Center for Military History to examine the Vietnam conflict from the perspective of the theater commander and his headquarters. It traces the conflict from the Communist Tet offensive of 1968 through the disestablishment of MACV in March 1973.  Over the years the role of the military evolved beyond military operations to diplomacy and pacification.  Abundant photographs are included, as are a table of troop redeployments, charts and maps.  Other titles by DOD on the Vietnam Conflict include: 

Combat operations : stemming the tide, May 1965 to October 1966 / by John M. Carland.     (D 114.7/3:C 73/2)
Reorganizing for pacification support / by Thomas W. Scoville.  (D 114.2  11/999)
Combat operations : taking the offensive, October 1966 to October 1967 / George L. MacGarrigle.   ( D 114.7/3:OF 3)
Public affairs : the military and the media, 1968-1973 / by William M. Hammond.  (D 114.7/3  96/968-73)
U.S. Marines in Vietnam : the bitter end, 1973-1975 / by George R. Dunham and David A. Quinlan.  (D 214.13:V 67/973-75)
U.S. Marines in Vietnam : the war that would not end, 1971-1973 / by Charles D. Melson and Curtis G. Arnold.  (D 214.13:V 67/971-73)
Records relating to American prisoners of war and missing in action from the Vietnam War / compiled by Charles E. Schamel.   ( D 221.1:SE 1)
Marines and military law in Vietnam : trial by fire / by Gary D. Solis.   (D 214.13:V 67/3)
Public affairs : the military and the media, 1962-1968 / by William M. Hammond.   (D 114.7/3  96/962-68|zD 114.7/3  96)
The war in South Vietnam : the years of the offensive, 1965- 1968 / John Schlight.   (D 301.86/2:V 67)
Advice and support : the final years, 1965-1973 / by Jeffrey J. Clarke.   ( D 114.7/3:Ad 9/965-73 )                           
Military communications : a test for technology / by John D. Bergen.    (D 114.7/3:C 73)
U.S. marines in Vietnam : Vietnamization and redeployment, 1970-1971 / by Graham A. Cosmas and Terrence P. Murray ; edited by William R. Melton and Jack Shulimson.   (D 214.13:V 67/970-71)
Images of a lengthy war / by Joel D. Meyerson.    ( D 114.7/3:Im 1)

These titles are available for checkout or use in the library.   

Although the Federal Documents Depository Library Program has been fairly successful in making publications of the many federal agencies available in libraries throughout the nation, most of the federal agencies have collections of their own publications that have been available only to their own employees and to the public only onsite.  These publications may be brochures, reports, photos, etc that tell something about a time gone by.  The general public or researchers would not see these unless they made a visit to the agency library.

Recent developments in technology may be changing the inaccessibility of agency publications, however.  There are several federal agencies that are developing digital collections of their publications and are making them available at their websites.  The publications usually present in pdf and, since they are images, are larger than text documents in another format.  However, the resolutions are good and the information is unique.  Some of the agencies with digital libraries include: 

• History of Medicine Digital Collections (National Library of Medicine)  NLM has several historical collections that include digitized material (prints, photographs, films and videos, exchibition material, manuscripts and books) covering a spectrum of centuries and cultures from medieval Islam to contemporary biomedical research.  For instance, there is a collection on patent medicines; innovators in science, medicine and public health; Islamic medical manuscripts at the NLM, rare medical books, and historical anatomical illustrations.  A Prints and Photographs collection of the history of medicine has about 100,000 images dating from the 15th century to the present covering pandemics, portraits, historical images of hospitals and institutions and procedures, drawings, wood cuts, caricatures, etc.
• Wirtz Labor Digital Library (Department of Labor) is a history of labor through trade union and labor history materials, labor leaders’ biographies, statistical abstracts and Department of Labor publications.  The project is in its infancy, so only about 45 documents are available currently.  However, more than 400 items have been scanned and are being added.  The collection is interesting as it presents publications that reflect customs, laws, and policies of times gone by.  A document, complete with drawings, on riding the trains during wartime urged women to be prepared for rough and crowded rides, as passengers often shared trains with military needs. 
• Library of Congress Digital Collections (Library of Congress).  LC is possibly the largest library and has developed several multimedia collections of digitized documents, photographs, recorded sound, motion pictures, and text from the American historical collections of the Library and other institutions. American Memory collections now offer more than 7.5 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections. For a special treat, choose something from the Performing Arts and Music collection and hear sea chanties and view dance steps to ragtime music.
• BEA Digital Library (Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce) has begun its collection with reproductions of the Survey of Current Business publication 1930 to 1999.  These can be browsed or searched by Optical Character Recognition.  Highlighted articles include the introduction of the pollution abatement expenditures series and an explanation of the national income and product accounts from the 1970s.  Other documents in the collection are the Survey of Current Business Annual Reviews (1937 - 1975), which cover economic trends in different sectors, and other documents such as a 1977 report on improving gross national product.

            The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have developed a guide on the fuel economy and fuel-efficiency of the 2008 model year cars, sport utility vehicles, and light trucks.  Information on diesel, hybrid-electric, ethanol flexible-fuel, and compressed natural gas vehicles is included. 

This year’s guide contains fuel economy estimates based on updated EPA calculation methods that better represent current real-world driving conditions.  City and highway estimates will include higher speeds, faster acceleration, air conditioner use, and cold temperature operation. Thus, estimates for the 2008 models will be lower than those for previous years, although fuel economy may be the same.

The guide also provides fuel cost estimates, based upon representative total miles driven, an estimate of cost for fuel, and percentages of city/highway driving.  Of course, individual vehicle fuel economy, use, and costs will vary.

            The guide is available in both print and electronic format.  Print guides may be borrowed from the State Library.  You can also request one or more copies at http://www.eere.nrel.gov/afdc/vehicles/fuel_economy_order_form.html.  Downloadable copies are posted at the Fuel Economy website at www.fueleconomy.gov.

The South Carolina State Library has been a depository for federal documents since 1970, receiving documents from the Government Printing Office in Washington on a regular basis.

Over the years, documents of all shapes and sizes, including teaching kits, maps, catalogs and photos of collections in the National Archives, Public Papers of the Presidents, congressional committee reports and agency brochures, reports, and publications have been received.

Older documents of historical value, such as the Agricultural Yearbooks and Census reports for most of the decennial censuses have also been added to the collection. Much of the collection is cataloged, so entries come up in a search of WebLion. However, our cardholders are welcome to get a pass to browse through the stacks through a collection of secrets.

Recent additions to the Federal Documents Collection include:

Botanic Garden for the Nation (Y1.1/2:Serial 1000 Display area). A beautifully illustrated book which includes a tour of the conservatory. LINK to Catalog LINK to online access

Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin 2006 (SSA 1.22/2:2006) A major resource for data on our nation’s social insurance and welfare programs. Incredibly detailed.  LINK to Catalog  LINK to online access

Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution (D 114.19:C76/2007) Second printing of this volume focusing on individuals in the Revolutionary War and on the role of the United States military. LINK to Catalog

Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq’s WMD (Prex 3.2:IR 1 v. I-III) LINK to Catalog LINK to online access