Trapped in time: Changing perceptions as reflected in the subject indexing of pre-1960 U.S. federal government publications related to homelessness

In the Homeless database being compiled at the University Libraries of the University at Albany State University of New York, about a dozen items from the late nineteenth century and early half of the twentieth century are cited. One source of information on homelessness apparent in the database is government documents. Through the project reported in this paper, the authors were able to locate, review, and cumulate government document references to homelessness published before 1960. During this process it became apparent that the indexing, which was idiosyncratic, created difficulties in locating materials. This paper examines some of those difficulties and the possible solution of searching Public Affairs Information Service. An appendix of the government documents located is included.