The University Libraries
Finding Government Publications
The U. S. Government publications are filed by the SuDoc call number system, where the beginning of the number indicates the publishing agency. All publications by the USGS start with “I.19”, followed by a number indicating the series, and then a sequential number. For example the call number for Lead in the environment a USGS Professional paper is: I19.16:957, the next Professional Paper in the series would have a call number of I19.16:958 etc. When using GeoRef the RN (report number) field indicates the series and sequential number. You can find items on the selves by combining the SuDoc number below with the RN field from GeoRef.
Popular USGS publications SuDoc Stems:
Bulletins (I19.3)
Circulars (I19.4/2)
Professional Papers (I19.16:)
Techniques of Water Resources Investigations (TWRI) (I19.42/4)
Fact Sheets (I19.13:)
Open File Reports (I19.76:)
USGS Maps:
Topographic maps series: 7.5 minutes, 15 minutes, 1:100,000 scale, 1:250,000 scale, County, State, National Park, Shaded-relief, bathometric, Antarctic.
Thematic maps: Are often shelved sequentially by series. The RN field in the GeoRef document directly locates the map on the shelf. For example: a GeoRef record with a RN field of I-3400 is a map from the Miscellaneous Geologic Investigation Maps (I) and will be located on the shelf before I-3401 and after I-3399 etc.
Thematic Map Series indicators:
Coal Investigative Maps (C)
Geologic Quadrangle Maps (GQ)
Hydrologic Investigations Atlases (HA)
Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Maps (I)
Miscellaneous Field Study maps (MF)
Oil and Gas Investigation Charts (
Scientific Investigations Map (Follows the (I) series with no prefix)
