>>> Each year, the federal government sends thousands of documents to Federal depository libraries, most of which are public and university libraries that have signed up to become depositories.

Every once in a while, a few times a year at most, an agency realizes that it inadvertently sent out documents that weren't meant for the public. It then issues a recall of these documents, asking libraries to return or destroy their copies. Sometimes the material contains falsified data, Privacy Act violations, or "technical errors." In one case—HUD's pamphlet called "Rezedents Rights & Rispansabilities"—the document shoudn't have been created in the first place (The Memory Hole has it here). But more often, the document is classified in some way. Some of the documents with intriguing titles in this category include:

• "An Introduction to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Regulated Industries"

• "Mailman Training"

• "USMS [Marshals Service] Protective Detail Glossary of Terms"

• "Munitions, Restricted or Suspended"

• "The Animal Liberation Front in the '90's"

• "Command Master Chief Handbook" (Defense Dept)

• "Narcotics Smuggling in Altered Containers"

• "Joint DOD/DOE Munitions Technology Development"

A librarian who will remain anonymous has supplied the following list of government documents that were yanked off the shelves from 1986 to 2000. The Memory Hole would like to post copies of these documents, plus ones that were subsequently snatched. We know that not all libraries accede to the demand to pull the documents, and many librarians resent being asked to do so. If you have access to any of the material listed below as "Official use only," "Internal use only," or "Not intended for the public," please send a copy [contact info]. I'd also welcome information about other government documents that have been recalled from libraries.

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