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By Shawn Kuk Campus Resources: Government Documents and Maps I was always struck with wonderment whenever I watched movies where the lead character unraveled some dark conspiracy involving the CIA, through a bit of ingenious independent research. It never occurred to me until now that all the information regarding government and public records could be sought out at the UCLA URL. Within URL, on sub-floor A, is a vast collection of all sorts of public and government records. This section of the library is called MGI (maps and gov't information), and in it one can explore maps and atlases that cover anywhere from your local block to the entire globe if need be. MGI contains Census information dating as far back as 1890 and is subdivided into categories such as "Housing Characteristics" and "Social & Economic Characteristics". There are volumes upon volumes of books that deal with state and federal commerce, finance, and labor information, as well as zip codes and post office directories. A set of books covers "Constitutions of the World" and another holds the "Public Papers of William Clinton" along with ones for our past presidents. Also, there are records of executive orders, proclamations, and transcriptions from state and federal legislative assemblies. MGI carries international records from UN assemblies and copies of historical treaties and agreements between nations. Another section of MGI is devoted to statutes covering everything from the local level all the way to the federal level. An interesting aspect of MGI was the set of "MGI Public Stations" (computer lab stations) from which federal and international government documents and records could be accessed. These stations had a vast collection of various topics on CD-ROM. To a certain extent, anyone who wishes to inform themselves on the true nature of past government policies, decisions, and general dealings can by-pass the spoon-fed information from mainstream sources (media, education), and go directly to the horse's mouth. The MGI section of URL can be an essential resource for all students who wish to unravel all the mysteries found throughout history, and even for those who are merely trying to fulfill a class assignment. Now I, too, am equipped to decipher for myself the truth behind the second gunman on that grassy knoll -- maybe. (Shawn Kuk is a Sophomore majoring in Asian American Studies.)