PurposeEffectively accessing government documents is often a challenge for frontline reference staff working in a merged public service environment. The purpose of this paper is to build a case for establishing sustainable information literacy that incorporates government publications information into research and reference services.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the reasons for, and challenges of, incorporating government documents training for reference staff, and suggests suitable strategies and techniques.FindingsKeeping up with knowledge in related fields other than a chosen specialty is a challenge facing librarians today, but knowing how to find print and online government resources is critical for reference desk staff to help meet the information needs of the public. A variety of techniques and strategies may be employed to help mine these important resources. Web 2.0 tools and internet‐based tutorials on government publications may be used to facilitate training.Practical implicationsStaff are encouraged to develop collaborative training relationships to motivate, teach, facilitate, and equip others for self‐sufficiency and competency.Originality/valueThe paper shows how reference staff knowledge of government publications can be enhanced through training with both traditional and new technologies. Training can be accomplished through self‐motivation and partnering and need not be always formal.

Research librarians should be literate in locating government resources at both federal and state levels. Although assistance with policy research may not be as frequently requested as other subjects, librarians need to be knowledgeable in this subject area. Policy resources produced by federal and state legislative and executive agencies can be challenging to locate and interpret. This article examines congressional and other governmental sources of policy information using an environmental catastrophe, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee, as a case study to illustrate an approach to researching environmental policy information. Information on the Coal Ash Spill is an example of a request that might be received at any research assistance desk employing a cadre of librarians with specialization in various disciplines, including science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]