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U.S. Books and Newspapers

Books

Buying Books

For those who have access to the internet, purchasing books published in the U.S., whether the books are recently published or out-of-print, new or secondhand, is now very much easier than it was in the past. There are a number of well-known and reputable commercial web sites which offer a wealth of information on in-print and out-of-print books, together with secure payment transactions, and many other useful facilities.

Alternatively, high street booksellers are now usually able to order American-published books and should be able to help you verify the details of any books that you require.

Borrowing Books

American books - especially those which have been published in British editions - are often available through British libraries. The U.K. has a highly effective inter-library loans system, and most libraries are able to request a book from the British Library Document Supply Centre if it is not held locally. If you cannot find the book you need on the shelves or in the catalog of your library, ask the librarian to request the book for you. There is usually a small charge for this service.

Newspapers and magazines

At the Newstand

"USA Today" is the only national daily newspaper in the U.S. It is frequently available in British retail outlets. The "Wall Street Journal" edition generally available in the U.K. is the European edition NOT the national U.S. edition. The "International Herald Tribune,"  the global edition of the New York Times is very widely available in the U.K.  The Sunday editions of a range of major U.S. newspapers are stocked in several stores in Central London. So too are a wide range of U.S. published magazines and periodicals. The Information Resource Center can be contacted for further details.

Via the Web

A very large number of U.S. newspapers and magazines have web sites which will carry some part of the text of paper editions. Web search engines will help you locate these sites. Alternatively, a list of U.S. electronic newspapers arranged by state, can be found on Editor & Publisher Interactive at http://www.mediainfo.com/. Links to some major newspapers are listed below.

USA Today http://www.usatoday.com
The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition http://public.wsj.com/home.html
The International Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com
The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/
The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com
The Los Angeles Time: http://www.latimes.com/

At the Library

Contact details for many American newspapers and magazines can be found in several widely available directories. "Benn's Media", "Willings Press Guide" and "Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory" can all be found in British libraries.

The British Association for American Studies (BAAS) hosts a comprehensive database listing U.S. newspaper holdings in U.K. and Irish libraries at http://www.baas.ac.uk/resources/newspapers/newspapers.asp

The largest collection of American newspapers and magazines in the United Kingdom is held by the British Library Newspaper Library at Colindale, London. (Phone: [44](0)20 7412-7357) Essential information about the Newspaper Library's collections and services, together with links to pages which describe related material elsewhere in the British Library may be found at http://www.bl.uk/

Ordering U.S. Government Printing Office (USGPO) publications in the U.K.

Orders sent directly to the Superintendent of Documents, USGPO for delivery overseas will be subject to an international mailing surchage of 25%. Such orders will routinely be shipped by surface mail. Airmail delivery is available at additional cost. If you wish to have your order sent by air, you should contact the USGPO in advance by telephone [1] (202) 512 1800 or fax [1] (202) 512-2250 for the total cost of your order.

Payment
Remittance in U.S. dollars should accompany every order sent directly to the USGPO. Payment may be made by:

  • Cheque drawn on a U.S. or Canadian bank
  • UNESCO coupons
  • International Postal Money Order
  • Prepaid USGPO deposit account
  • MasterCard or VISA credit card. Please include your credit card number and the date of expiration.
  • Orders received with postage stamps, foreign money, or cheques on foreign banks will be returned.
  • All remittances should be made payable to the Superintendent of Documents.

Ordering
Orders must be in English. To speed the processing of your order type or print clearly:

  • your complete name and address
  • your order number (if any)
  • your USGPO deposit account number (if applicable) or your credit card details (if applicable)

    State the title(s), quantity required, unit price, and total payment enclosed. Publications are stored by their stock number (S/N). Orders are therefore processed more quickly and accurately if the appropriate USGPO stock number is quoted. USGPO stock numbers may be located in the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/
  • Post:
    Superintendent of Documents
    P.O. Box 371954,
    Pittsburgh PA 15250-7954
  • Telephone & fax:
    For faster service, credit card or USGPO deposit account orders may be placed by telephoning the USGPO order desk at: [1] (202) 512-1800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. To fax an order use [1] (202) 512-2250, 24 hours, 7 days a week.
  • Internet:
    Orders may be placed via the U.S. Government Online Bookstore using a credit card or USGPO deposit account.

Delivery
Allow a minimum of 10 weeks for delivery to most overseas destinations. For inquiries on non-delivery of subscriptions contact:

Superintendent of Documents
Subscription Research Section, Stop: SSOM
Washington, D.C. 20402-9375
Phone: [1] (202) 512-1806
Fax [1] (202) 512-2168

To check on orders for non delivery of publications other than subscriptions, contact:

Superintendent of Documents
Publications Service Section, Stop: SSOS
Washington, D.C. 20402-9329
Phone: [1] (202) 512-1803
Fax: [1] (202) 512-2168

Should you find an error in your order please contact the Superintendent of Documents. Do not return publications unless asked to do so. All claims must be submitted within six months.

Deposit accounts
A prepaid deposit account may be established by sending a minimum of $50.00 and receiving a unique deposit account number, which can be used to charge future purchases. Order blanks are provided and monthly statements are mailed to customers with active deposit accounts. Telephone orders will be accepted on any deposit account if sufficient funds are available in the account. For more information, contact:

Superintendent of Documents
Deposit Account Section, Stop: SSOR
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington DC 20402
Phone: [1] (202) 512-0822
Fax: [1] (202) 512-1356.

Online publications
The full text of the Federal Register, Congressional Record, Congressional Bills and other federal government publications is available online via the GPO's Federal Digital System.

Commercial document delivery services
For overseas customers who urgently require U.S. Government Printing Office publications, there can be an advantage in ordering through local commercial document retrieval services. Such firms do, of course, charge a fee for the service they provide. The following list provides some examples of British companies specializing in ordering materials from the USGPO. These firms are not connected in any way with the U.S. Embassy, and we may accept no responsibility whatsoever for transactions conducted with them.

BOOKS EXPRESS
P.O. Box 10
Saffron Walden
Essex CB11 4EW
Phone: [44] (1799) 513726; fax: [44] (1799) 513248
email: express@books-ex.demon.co.uk
web: http://www.books-express.co.uk/