A new library in San José opened on August 1, 2003. This library is the result of a unique collaboration between San José State University Library and the San José Public Library. The planning for this new library highlighted merging several key areas of operation, including Government Publications. Several years before the two libraries merged, the University Library merged government publications reference functions into the general reference service of the Reference department. Depository library status at the federal and state levels impacted the planning and implementation stages. This paper discusses the background, planning, and implementation of merging the reference service for government publications, first within an academic environment and then in the unique joint library environment.