About
Welcome to the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s (GPO) Government Book Talk! Our goal is to raise the profile of some of the best publications from the Federal Government, past and present. We’ll be reviewing new and popular publications, providing information about new publications in the offing, and talking about some out-of-print classics. The goal is to spotlight the amazing variety of Government publications and their impact on ourselves and our world – and have fun while doing it.
About the agency: GPO opened its doors over 150 years ago on March 4, 1861, and is part of the legislative branch of the federal government. GPO employees have been Keeping America Informed on the documents of our democracy, in both printed and electronic form. The agency produces the Congressional Record, Federal Register, the nation’s passports, and other Federal Government documents. It also maintains the Federal Depository Library Program to ensure public libraries nationwide have access to Federal published information.
About the authors:
- GovBookTalk: My name is Jim Cameron (not the movie director). I’m a long-time GPO employee, working mainly for the agency’s publications sales program in the areas of writing, editing, and outreach, but I also have a good deal of experience with the Federal depository library side of the house. I’m a serious book person – my wife claims that I own several thousand books, but I’m sure that’s an exaggeration. My interests lie mainly in the areas of history and biography – perfect for someone involved with Government books.
- GPOBookstore: My name is Michele Bartram, and I was new to GPO as the head of ecommerce and promotions for GPO’s U.S. Government Online Bookstore. I returned to the Federal Government after years in marketing and ecommerce in the private sector, and after GPO went to Business USA, the Government web portal for all small business resources, from start-ups to exporters. During my first round in Government, I had the opportunity to pitch and build the original web site for the United States Mint, along with an education site, and online store. I grew up in a house of books, and reading is my passion, although I now enjoying perusing both print and digital publications. My interests are in current affairs and Federal programs, which makes it very exciting to learn about the wonderful work done by our fellow Federal agencies!
- GPOWriter: My name is Trudy Hawkins, and I am a writer and marketing specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore. I specialize in email marketing, outreach, and promoting content published by U.S. Federal agencies.
About our blog software: GPO uses WordPress, a free blog software provider with which we have an agreement, to operate our blog, but the content belongs to us.
If you have thoughts about a post, more information about a topic, or ideas about books to discuss, let us know. We see this blog not as a single voice, but as a community of book lovers, be those books print or electronic. Let the discussion begin!
129 Responses to About
This design is stellar! You certainly know how to keep a reader
entertained. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented
it. Too cool!
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That’s great article about government book talk.thanks to share it.
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I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up!
I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back down the road. All the best
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on shopping.
Regards
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Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.
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Thanks for publicizing these fantastic government documents, with thoughtful and well-written reviews. It’s nice to know that the government is attempting to keep records, but I think they need to focus on educating our children better instead of spending so much on preserving things that can be infinitely replicated.
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Hello: I thought that your readers and colleagues might be interested in this. Please help us promote this initiative to read through a story/blog and send me a link should you use it. Also, email me or call Jennifer below if we can help you in any other way and thanks! – Mike Volpe/DOL
Contact Name: Jennifer Marion
Phone Number: (202) 693-5795
Email: marion.jennifer.r@dol.gov
Release Number: 13-2241-NAT
From Ben Franklin to Betty Friedan, from “Of Mice and Men” to “The Devil Wears Prada,” U.S. Department of Labor launches Books that Shaped Work in America
Centennial project invites public to compile list of books about work, workers
and workplaces and learn about department’s mission and history
Visit the Books that Shaped Work website
WASHINGTON — From Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Improved” to Sonia Sotomayor’s “My Beloved World,” nearly 100 titles of fiction, nonfiction, plays and poetry begin the initial roll of Books that Shaped Work in America—a Centennial project of the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
The web-based project, www.dol.gov/books, launched today as part of the department’s ongoing commemoration of its 100th anniversary, aims to engage the public about the Labor Department’s mission and America’s history as a nation of workers as portrayed through published works.
“The Books that Shaped Work in America initiative explores the dignity of work and our progress in expanding America’s fundamental promise of opportunity for all through the lens of literature,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Think of this effort as an online book club where people from all walks of life can share books that informed them about occupations and careers, molded their views about work and helped elevate the discourse about work, workers and workplaces. At the same time, the site provides a unique way for people to learn about the mission and resources of the U.S. Department of Labor.”
Work, like our nation, is constantly evolving, and so Books that Shaped Work in America is no different. To get it started, 24 individuals, including Perez, eight former secretaries of labor from both Democratic and Republican administrations, department staff (including an intern), civil rights leaders, critics, authors, media personalities and staff from the Library of Congress submitted suggestions. Among the contributors: former Secretaries of Labor George P. Shultz and Robert Reich, authors Daniel H. Pink and Joan Acocella, Solicitor of Labor M. Patricia Smith, Liz Claman of Fox Business News, President of the National Urban League Marc Morial and Scott McGee of Turner Classic Movies. Their recommendations are included on the initiative’s website, along with brief summaries of each book and links to related U.S. Department of Labor resources.
Now the public is invited to expand the list. A simple, online form, which can be found at www.dol.gov/books/form, makes it easy for anyone to suggest a book.
View the video on YouTube
“From a simple tale for children like ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ to a scholarly tome like ‘Quality, Productivity and Competitive Position,’ the books on the list demonstrate the rich breadth and depth of work in America,” said Carl Fillichio, the department’s senior adviser for public affairs and chair of its Centennial. “As we continue to mark the Department of Labor’s 100 years of service to workers in our country, this project is a terrific way to educate the public about work, workers and the work of the Labor Department. Watching the list grow, and hearing the discussion broaden, is going to be very exciting.” Read Fillichio’s Get Out Your Work Books blog post.
The project was inspired by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress’ 2012 Books That Shaped America exhibition, which explored the impact of books on American life and culture. Many of the books in that exhibition had work as a central theme, bringing to light the significant role published works have played in shaping America’s view of workers and workplaces throughout its history.
Created in 1913, the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. To learn more about the department’s history, visit www.dol.gov/100/.
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Thanks, Mike! TO OTHER READERS: We loved Mike’s note so much that we decided to write a blog post about the Department of Labor Project. See Federal Books that Shaped Work in America. Enjoy!
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Merci pour l’article, comme d’habitude super
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Merci beaucoup!
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bookmarked!!, I really like your website!
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Hi from Nambour, Australia. My name is Nicky. I am a nineteen year old law student. I stumbled across this blog when I was doing some research for my university assignment. Thanks for your work. I now have a lot more direction. :)
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Mr. Cameron,
Is there any reason why GPO publications are not sold in regular bookstores? A prohibition in law or regs?
Thanks.
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Actually, many of our publications are sold in commercial retail and online bookstores, including Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, Google Books, and some overseas outlets as well. Our GPO Sales Program works with book distributors to get these publications out into as many sales channels as possible. However, it is up to the individual business as to whether it wants to purchase any particular title. Thus, GPO also distributes Federal Government titles through our Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). You can look up a title to find if it is in a library near you at www.worldcat.org. I hope this helps!
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I would like to include the photograph of John Kennedy standing with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the White House lawn in a book I am writing. Is this allowed or is their another channel I should work through.
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Mike: You will want to contact the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. The photo is from their website: www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/nwfpXxlt0UifgyohaCoutg.aspx and their contact information is on their website. Good luck with the book!
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Hello, would you please allow me to put this on my website? If there is no any problem with this, please let me know via my e-mail…
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You are welcome to re-post our articles. A backlink would be welcome, however! :-)
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Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to? Where would I go about doing it?
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likelike federal online america library
for its contents. This is a safe-cache copy of the original web site.