USGS Publications Warehouse

How do I find a publication by an author?

From the search box on the home page, you can retrieve results by an author by entering a single name. If you enter "fish", 661 results are returned. The basic search result window has purple tabs to help you subset this list. If you click on "Author", 76 documents with the author "Fish" are returned.

To be more specific, click on the Advanced Search link under the Publications Warehouse banner, enter the author information in the author search fields, and then click Search Now. Or, in the Advanced Search window, enter the publication subject, then click "sort by author", and Search Now. The results will be listed alphabetically by author.

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I get too many results. What should I do?

Please read the Publications Warehouse Search Tips. Use of the Advanced search will allow you to improve your search results.

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Why can't I find information about animals that I know you have?

Only a limited number of Biological Resources Discipline report citations, primarily historical series reports from when the Office of Biological Resources was part of the Fisheries and Wildlife Service and reports published under the USGS series, are included at this time (January 2006).  We will continue to add biological reports, so please check back. Follow this link to Publications by Biological Science Center.

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The publication I am interested in is not online and it is Out of Stock. How can I get it?

Out-of-print USGS publications and maps, depending on series and date, can usually be obtained in either of two ways:

• Check with your local public, academic, or corporate librarian to request an interlibrary loan from either a regional government depository library or from your nearest USGS Library.
• Purchase copies through the services of a document delivery company. Several of these are listed on the Web at http://www.docdel.com/Geology_and_Earth_Sciences.html

Selected USGS publications, especially those that are old, popular, or rare, may also be available from used book dealers. Lists and searchable databases of used books are available at several sources on the Web.

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Why isn't there a citation in the Publications Warehouse for a publication that I know exists?

All publication bibliographic citations are not currently available. For example, unnumbered report citations are not in the Publications Warehouse, but they may be available online or for purchase through the USGS Store. Only the publications listed on the Contents page are included at this time. The Contents page lists the date range of each series for all series in the database and is updated daily with the current total number of citations and the number of reports available online.

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How do I find a product that was very recently published?

Newly added publications are listed on the Recent Publications page.  The Publications Warehouse gets information about new publications from a variety of sources.  There is often some lag time between when a publication is published and when it appears in the Publication Warehouse depending on the source of the new publication and how soon they contact the Publications Warehouse.  Once contacted, the Publications Warehouse will have the citation for the publication added to the database within 48 hours.

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What is a USGS series?

A series is a collection of similar products, which also may be grouped by audience or packaging requirements.  Descriptions of USGS series are available by clinking here.

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How do I get a paper copy of an online document?

Publications are available in HTML or a document format called PDF. If you see "online document" next to the results list, you can click on either choice to go to the document and then send it to your laser printer. The PDF file is likely to print in book layout, similar to a commercially formatted document.  The Publications Warehouse has scanned many documents that are available in DJVU format.  For best printing, download the DJVU plugin and open the document version that requires the plugin.

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How do I obtain a Fact Sheet or Circular listed as "Cost $0.00" (distributed free of charge)?

Use the same PDF order form for ordering items for purchase. You will still need to pay $5.00 shipping and handling per order.

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Is the bibliographic citation in the form it should appear when I cite a product in a USGS publication?

No, different publishers require different forms. Follow this link for "Suggestions to Authors" specifications and examples of the style for citations published by the USGS.

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I can't find the map I need or an answer to my question here. Who should I contact?

We suggest trying the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Science Information Center (ESIC). The ESIC offers nationwide information and sales service for USGS map products and natural science publications. ESIC can fill orders for custom products such as aerial photographs and orthophotoquads, digital cartographic data, and geographic names data. Follow this link to the ESIC home page.

For further assistance and to order, contact the ESIC by telephone toll free at 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747).

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I want to buy a topographic map. How do I get it?

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and thousands of USGS map dealers sell topographic maps. To locate a USGS map dealer near you, click here. USGS Earth Science Information Centers (ESICs) also sell topographic maps. Follow this link to the ESIC home page or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.

Scanned versions of all the topographic maps are also available online. Follow this link for information on how to use the National Atlas to view a topographic map.

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How do I contact a local office for help?

Local offices may have products not listed here or they can direct you to other government agencies with local information.

Follow this link for local USGS Web sites and USGS contacts in your state.

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How do I report a problem with the data or with the Publications Warehouse?

Please send comments, bug reports, suggestions for improvements, questions, and any other communications to us via the form at the Publications Warehouse Contact Us page. We appreciate your input and will try to respond promptly to all messages requesting response.

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