University of Illinois at Chicago’s Richard J. Daley Library has a vast Government Documents collection. This edition of Library Excavations was created using that collection, which is freely accessible to the public. It focuses on a series of booklets issued between 1975-1978 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

NIOSH is the U.S. federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were created when President Richard M. Nixon signed The Occupational Safety and Health Act on December 29, 1970.

At a time in American politics where prioritizing the health and safety of citizens feels like it’s in great disregard, these 40+ year old publications are a reminder of what citizen outreach can look like on a national level.