Government publications, also called documents are printed by government agencies at public expense. They appear in various formats such as books, pamphlets, magazines, posters, maps, any type of microform, CD-ROMS, and via the Internet. Some publications are issued by Congress from hearings, reports, laws, and regulations.
Many agencies publish technical research reports, and informational pamphlets.
These publications cover a wide range of subjects such as education, consumer issues, statistics, space exploration, geology, health, safety and history. The Walsh Library is a depository for United States Documents and New Jersey State Documents. Seton Hall became a federal depository in 1947 and a state depository in 1968. The Walsh library is a selective depository, and the strength of the collection is in business, economics, health and education. In 1997 the Walsh library became a full United Nations Depository.