Academic library reference service for the publications of municipal, state, and federal government; A historical perspective spanning the years up to 1962

The literature of government publications in academic libraries is well represented by articles discussing their selection, acquisition, distribution, bibliography, and classification and cataloging. Reference service, especially its history, has received comparatively less attention, which is perhaps understandable due to the scattered and sporadic nature of the source material. This article attempts to survey the history of academic reference service among government publications, delimit the scope of the subject, and suggest that the service merits further research and investigation.