Government Documents - A Guide to the Collections: Citing government documents

The staff of the Government Documents Collection can certify the authenticity of federal documents. Certification attests to the chain of custody from the Government Publishing Office through the Federal Depository Library Program to the library.

Photocopies are certified with the following language:

"I certify that this document is in the Government Documents Collection of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library." The certification will be signed, dated, and stamped with the federal depository library property stamp.

The United States government does not claim copyright on most of its publications. However, some publications that are prepared by contractors may be copyrighted by the contractor. For more information, view the Government Publishing Office's statement on public domain and copyright.

Copyright for state government documents is complex. Visit Harvard University's State Copyright Resource Center for more information. The State of Hawai`i and counties claim copyright on some publications.