Official Publications | Cambridge University Library

Official Publications | Cambridge University Library
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LibGuide for working with Official Publications material
Official Publications material is requested in and fetched to the Special Collections Reading Room, regardless of publication date. Most OP material can be fetched within an hour, but more complex enquiries may take longer, particularly on Saturdays. The LibGuide linked above provides links to online resources and is recommended as the most up-to-date guide to Official Publications.
The Official Publications collection includes publications of :
the governments of the United Kingdom, the Irish Republic, members of the Commonwealth, and some of the foreign countries;
more than fifty intergovernmental organisations including the United Nations and its specialist agencies, and the European Union.
The Official Publications collection is accessed in a number of ways. Much current material is being published online;
follow our
Electronic resources
link for a range of useful sources together with guidance notes.
Since 1999 the more important works have been catalogued on the
online catalogue
. Pre-1999 material is accessible through a subject catalogue on cards in the Special Collections Reading Room annexe. It is in three sections: the United Kingdom; foreign and Commonwealth countries (except India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and intergovernmental organisations; India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Blue Books (British Parliamentary Papers) have their own set of bound indexes standing next to the card catalogue. Indexes to House of Lords papers are available on request.
A small part of the collection can be ordered to the Modern Collections Desk. Pre-1900 material in these classes has been removed to closed access for conservation reasons, and should be requested to the Special Collections Reading Room. This part of the collection includes:
a small reference collection (class OPR)
OPR1              General (incl. census material)
OPR2              British Isles
OPR3              European countries
OPR4              Asia
OPR5              Africa
OPR6              Australasia
OPR7              America
OPR8              United Nations
OPR10            Statistical abstracts of countries – current issues
OPR12            Histories of Parliament);
Hansard (also available electronically at the
UK Parliament
website);
Journals of the House of Lords and the House of Commons;
Statutes of the Realm, together with the most recent consolidations supplemented by annual volumes to date;
British and Foreign State Papers;
certain publications of the Record Commissioners and The National Archives;
British census reports from 1801 (material for the 1901 and 2001 censuses is also available electronically at the
National Statistics Online
website).
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library@lib.cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 333000
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