GODORT (Government Documents Round Table)

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The mission of the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) is to (1) To provide a forum for discussion of problems, concerns, and for exchange of ideas by librarians working with government documents; (2) to provide a force for initiating and supporting programs to increase availability, use, and bibliographic control of documents; (3) to increase communication between documents librarians and other librarians; (4) to contribute to the extension and improvement of education and training of documents librarians.

Learn more about GODORT on the ALA website.

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GODORT Chair's Program at ALA Annual: "America at 250: Celebrating Freedom, Confronting Inequities, and Considering a New Constitutional Era"

  • 1.  GODORT Chair's Program at ALA Annual: "America at 250: Celebrating Freedom, Confronting Inequities, and Considering a New Constitutional Era"

    Posted Jun 24, 2025 08:27 AM

    If you're headed to Philadelphia for ALA Annual, I encourage you to attend the Government Documents Round Table's Chair's Program

     

    America at 250: Celebrating Freedom, Confronting Inequities, and Considering a New Constitutional Era

    Saturday, June 28th, 2:30-3:30pm ET

    Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 124

    As America approaches its 250th anniversary, it's a time for celebration and reflection. This session will use a modern lens to examine the foundational documents of the nation-the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. While these government documents are celebrated for establishing freedom and democracy, they also contain elements of racial and gender inequity. As a living document, the Constitution allows for amendments, but given the significant societal changes since its inception, are amendments enough? Participants will reflect on if the original documents meet the needs of today and whether Americans might consider a Constitutional Convention to draft a constitution for the modern era. This exploration aims to provide librarians with a framework to promote civic literacy and engagement through an understanding of America's history and its ongoing transformation.

    Panelists:

    • Dr. Julia Mansfield is a historian of early America and assistant professor at Villanova University. She received her bachelor's degree from Harvard College and Ph.D from Stanford University. At Villanova, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on colonial British America and the American Revolution.
    •  Dr. Anthony Grasso is a professor of political science at Rutgers University–Camden. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and specializes in American political development, with a focus on the history of constitutional and criminal law.
    • Sarah Erekson is the Regional Government Documents Librarian at the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. She is the Regional Coordinator for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands. Previously, she was the Government Information and Municipal Reference Manager at Chicago Public Library. Erekson is also very active in the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) of the American Library Association.

     

     Hope to see you there!



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    Julia Ezzo (she/her)
    Chair, GODORT Program Committee
    Chair-Elect, GODORT

    Government Information, Packaging, & Political Science Librarian 
    Michigan State University Libraries
    julia@msu.edu
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