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U.S. Government Documents - Research Guide

Contents

I. Documents Holdings at the Penn Library

The Penn Library has been a selective depository for U.S. government documents since the end of the 19th century and holds a strong collection of documents back to the founding of the nation. While Franklin, the Penn Library Catalog, provides access to bibliographic records for much of this material, the Library has many uncataloged documents, particularly in microfiche. Timeline of Major Document Resources at Penn Library is a chronological list of the major Document text resources at Penn and Indexes and Catalogs of the documents. Period of coverage is indicated by the vertical line.

Online Collections
Over the past decade, many publications have become available online. The Penn Library subscribes to large collections such as those available from LexisNexis Congressional and Hein Online. Links to subscription resources and many freely accessible government document websites are listed in appropriate places below.
Print Collections
The Penn Library holds many government publications in print form. Print titles are cataloged and shelved in either the Dewey (some older works) or Library of Congress classification systems (both older and newer works). Records of cataloged documents are listed in Franklin. While all print documents are in Franklin now, some older titles are also still listed in the old card catalog located in the Reference area of Van Pelt. Search under either the title of the publication or the originating office as author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Readex Microprint, 1956-1980.
[Van Pelt Library Reference: Government Microforms Room: Microprint #5].
For January 1956 through December 1980, the Library has a complete collection of U.S. Government depository publications on microprint. Documents can be identified by using the print Monthly Catalog (see below), in which depository documents are marked by a 'bullet'. The microprint is arranged by year and MoCat entry number.
Readex Microfiche, 1980-1985.
[Van Pelt Library Reference: Government Microforms Room]
From January 1980 to December 1985, the Readex republication of all depository documents was received on microfiche. The Library discontinued this subscription in 1985.

Depository Microfiche, 1981- .
[Van Pelt Library Reference: Government Microforms Room]
Penn Library selects approximately 30% of the U.S. government documents available on deposit. While some depository documents are received in paper and are cataloged in Franklin, a larger number are available only on microfiche. Documents on microfiche are arranged by SuDocs number. Use the print Monthly Catalog, WorldCat, and the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications to find SuDocs numbers.
Other Area Depositories
The Government Documents Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia at Logan Square has a more complete depository collection than the University Library. The State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg is a Regional Depository and receives nearly all depository documents. Other Federal Depository libraries in the area include: the Biddle Law Library and all other law schools, Temple, Swarthmore, Princeton, and Rutgers.

II. Key Resources for Identifying and Accessing Documents

Online Resources, Access to some Full-text

WorldCat - OCLC Firstsearch Union Catalog
Most publications of the GPO for recent years will be listed in Worldcat. Not all libraries catalog their government document holdings.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP)
The CGP is the finding tool for federal publications that includes descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those that are available online. Covers most publications from 1976 to the present. Updated daily. Earlier publications back to the late 19th century are being added.

GPO Access
Includes the full-text of many noteable executive, legislative, and judicial government publications.

LexisNexis Congressional Publications including Full-text of the Serial Set.
Searchable, full-text version of the Serial Set. Covers 1789 to 1969, includes the American State Papers. Choose Search Within options for the Serial Set.

USA.Gov (formerly First.gov)

FedWorld.gov

Google U.S.Government Search

U.S. Federal Government Agencies Directory - LSU Libraries

Federal Citizen Information Center, National Contact Center

Federal Government Resources on the Web - University of Michigan Documents Center

Print Indexes to Identify Documents

Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1893- 1997/8.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 A18], 1941-1990s, earlier in Van Pelt Stacks.
From 1940 to the 1990s, the Monthly Catalog was the most comprehensive index to publications of all U.S. government departments and the Congress. The Document Catalog is preferred for the period 1893-1940. The arrangement is by government agency. Indexes refer to Monthly Catalog (MoCat) entry numbers. Entries provide full bibliographic information and Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Number.
CIS Index, and CIS Annual, 1970- .
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: JK 1001 C65], last few years, earlier in High Density Storage
Catalogs, abstracts, and indexes all publications of Congress, except Bills and the Congressional Record. Covers Reports, Documents, Committee Prints, and Hearings. Includes Legislative Histories of Public Laws. Indexes by subject, name (author, witness), bill, report, and document number.
CIS U.S. Serial Set Index. Washington, Cong. Info. Serv., 1975-.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: J 74 C66 1975]
A comprehensive index, based on the enhanced titles of the more than 325,000 documents contained in the American State Papers and the Serial Set. Each entry gives document title, publication series & number, congress and session, and Serial Set volume number. There is a separate index of names and organizations as subjects of private relief and a numerical list of reports and documents and schedule of Serial Set volume numbers. There is a one volume index by reported bill numbers, 1819-1969.
Document Catalog 1893-1940. 25 vols.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 A13]
The most complete index to all types of U.S. documents for the period 1893-1940. Lists government authors, personal authors, and subjects in a single alphabet and gives full bibliographic information at each entry, including Serial Set numbers when present.
Poore, Benjamin Perley. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the United States, September 5, 1774-March 4, 1881. New York, Johnson Reprint Corp., [1970].
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 A 1885a]
Ames, John G. Comprehensive index to the publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893. Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1905 ; Ann Arbor, J.W. Edwards, 1953.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 A2 1953]
Checklist of United States public documents 1789-1909, congressional: to close of Sixtieth Congress, departmental: to end of calendar year 1909. 3rd. ed. Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1911-.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 A115]

III. Executive, Legislative, Judiciary Branch Links

Executive - White House | Federal Executive Branch - Departments and Agencies

Legislative - Senate | House | THOMAS | Library of Congress

Judicial - Supreme Court | U.S. Courts | FindLaw

IV. Selected High Use Documents - Electronic and Print Versions

American State Papers

American State Papers from LexisNexis Congressional .
Searchable, full-text version of the Serial Set. Covers 1789 to 1969, includes the American State Papers. Choose Search Within options for the Serial Set.

American State Papers from the Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation Project within American Memory of the Library of Congress.

American State Papers. 38 vols. 1789-1838
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: 328.73 6a; also Documents Room Microprint 4]
A reprint of records covering the early sessions of Congress. Generally considered a part of the Serial Set. Indexed by the Serial Set Index.
New American State Papers.
176 vols. --
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: location varies]
Selected reprints of House and Senate Documents, covering the 15th through the 36th Congresses, issued in separately cataloged topical series: Agriculture, 19 vols. (HD 1759 U55 1973); Commerce & Navigation, 47 vols. (HF 3025 U53 1973); Indian Affairs, 13 vols. (E93 U938 1972); Public Finance, 32 vols. (HJ 249 U55 1972); Public Lands, 8 vols. (HD 171 A222 1973); Science & Technology, 14 vols. (Q 127 U6 U485 1973)); Explorations & Surveys, 15 vols. (G 220 N48); Labor & Slavery, 7 vols. (E 441 N48); Manufactures, 9 vols. (HD 9726 N48); Social Policy, 5 vols. (HN 56 N48); Transportation, 7 vols. (HE 195 U53 N48)
For indexing, use the Serial Set Index with the New American State Papers Correlation List; Serial Set Numbers to Section Title and Vol. Numbers. for selected Serial Set volumes from 2-ca.1100. [Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 Z7 H6].

Bills

LexisNexis Congressional
Choose Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws. Includes Bill Text and Bill Tracking from 1989 to the present. (Also includes Public laws from 1988 to present and Statutes at Large from 1789 to present.)
THOMAS - Bills, Resolutions
Includes the full-text of House and Senate Bills for the 101st Congress (1989-90) to the present and bill summary and status from the 93rd Congress (1973) to the present.
Congressional Bills - from GPO Access
Includes access to Congressional Bills from the 103rd Congress (1993-1994) to the present.
Other Formats:
All bills from August 1979 - present (96th Congress, 1st session) are available in microfiche [Van Pelt Library Reference Gov Docs Room]. Bills on fiche are arranged by Congress and session, and then by SuDoc number. Use the Cumulative Finding Aid, House and Senate Bills to determine the fiche location of a bill [Van Pelt Reference Desk: KF 15 U547]. Earlier bills are available on microprint [Van Pelt Library Reference Gov Docs Room: Microprint #5]. Documents in the microprint collection are arranged by Monthly Catalog number.
Arrangement of bills on microfiche is by Congress, then by SuDoc number:
Y 1.4/1: Congress -(nos) Senate Bills (S.)
Y 1.4/2: Congress -(nos) Senate Resolutions (S.Res.)
Y 1.4/3: Congress -(nos) Senate Joint Resolution (S.J.Res.)
Y 1.4/4: Congress -(nos) Senate Concurrent Resolutions (S. Con.Res.)
Y 1.4/6: Congress -(nos) House Bills (H.R.)
Y 1.4/7: Congress -(nos) House Resolutions (H.Res.)
Y 1.4/8: Congress -(nos) House Joint Resolutions (H.J.Res)
Y 1.4/9: Congress -(nos) House Concurrent Resolutions (H.Con.Res.)

The Free Library of Philadelphia (19th and Vine) has:

1st-72nd Congress (1789-1932) on microfilm.
73rd - 96th Congress (1933-1980) on fiche.
97th (1981 - present) on depository fiche.

Congressional Record

Hein Online
Choose U.S. Congressional Documents. Cover the Annals, the Register, the Globe, and the Congressional Record through 2003 and the Daily Congressional Record to the present.
LexisNexis Congressional
Choose Congressional Record & Rules from left column. Full-text of the Congressional Record from the 99th Congress (1985-1986) to the present.
GPO Access - Congressional Record
Full-text from 1994 to present, Congressional Record Index from 1983 to the present.
THOMAS
Choose Congressional Record from left column. Access to the full text of the Congressional Record from the 101st Congress (1989-1990) to the present.
A Century of Law Making for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1775-1875
Annals of Congress (1789 to 1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837), and Congressional Globe (1833-1873) and Congressional Record (1873-1875)
Congressional Record.
Daily issues [Van Pelt Reference Documents Room], recent year.
Bound edition (paper) [Van Pelt Library Stacks: J11.R5], 1874 - 1984, 1998-current.
Bound edition (paper) [High Density Storage], 1985-1997, v. 131-143.
Bound edition (microfiche) [Van Pelt Library Reference Gov Docs Room: U.S. Documents - X/97/1 - X/98/2], 1981-1984.
Annals of Congress (1789 - 1824)
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: J 11 .A5]
Register of Debates (1824 - 1837)
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: J 11 .D5]
Congressional Globe (1833 - 1873)
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: J 11 .R5]

Constitution

Constitution of the United States of America - via GPO Access.

Declassified Documents

Digital National Security Archive
More than 63,000 important declassified documents regarding critical U.S. policy decisions since 1945. There are over 30 complete collections.
Declassified Documents Reference System Online
Covers declassified documents issues from as far back as 1905 through the 2002. Documents have been declassified starting from 1948 to recent years. Document types include correspondence and memoranda, minutes of cabinet meetings, technical studies, national security policy statements, and intelligence reports. [The Library also has the Declassified Documents Reference System fiche collection [Van Pelt LIbrary Microtext: Microfiche 956].
CIA FOIA Reading Room
Fulltext Central Intelligence Agency declassified documents on many topics, including the Family Jewels (illegal activities from 1959 through 1973), the CAESAR, POLO, and ESAU Papers on Soviet and Chinese politics, National Intelligence Council collections on Vietnam, China, and other topics, the Princeton Collection and National Intelligence Estimates on the USSR and international communism.
Declassified Documents Catalog. Woodbridge, CT., Research Publications.
Provides abstracting and subject indexing for U.S. government documents from the CIA, Department of State, National Security Council, Department of Defense, FBI and other government departments and agencies, which were formerly classified as "Top Secret", "Secret", or "Confidential" and have been declassified under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Made available by the Library of Congress and the Presidential Libraries. (Van Pelt Reference Stacks: J83 .D435).

Federal Budget

Budget of the United States Government.
Federal Budget publications back to 1997.
United States. Bureau of the Budget. The budget of the United States Government. Washington, D.C. : For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.]
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: HJ2051 .A595], 1935/36-1956/57, 1968/69-1970/71, 1988,1997-present, latest in Reference. [Lippincott Library Stacks: HJ2051 .A59], 1935/1936 - present.

Federal Register

The Federal Register is published by the Office of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It is the official publication for Presidential Documents and Executive Orders, as well as Notices, Rules and Proposed Rules from Federal agencies and organizations. The Federal Register is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Federal Register via HeinOnline - Penn only.
Text of the FR from 1936-current year.
Federal Register online via LexisNexis Congressional.
Coverage goes back to July 1, 1980. The file is updated daily, so each day's Federal Register is available online the same day as the printed version. (Also includes the Code of Federal Regulations from 1981 to the present).
Federal Register online via GPO Access.
Text of the FR from 1994 to the present.

Federal Register. Washington, D.C. : [Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration] : Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Mar. 14, 1936)- .
[Van Pelt Library Reference: Latest yr. & previous yr. shelved with govt. documents.]
[Biddle Law Library Govt. doc# AE 2.106], Lib. has v.1(1936)- present, some volumes are incomplete. Backfile on 6th floor. See also Fiche S24, Film S231 and Microopaque S2.

Foreign Relations of the United States

The Foreign Relations of the United States is an important source of information about American foreign policy. It constitutes the State Department's official record and provides access to previously classified material that otherwise would be unavailable. Simultaneously, its status as the official record also compromises its completeness, since it is heavily edited, with much material remaining classified. It is organized by year or groups of years, with geographical or topical sub-divisions. Many volumes deal with specific countries at specific times. For many years some volumes are simply labelled "general" to include those documents that do not fall into more specific categories. The documents in each volume are arranged chronologically. Each document has notes indicating its source and, where necessary, annotations providing contextual information or data relating the document to others. There is also a table of sources and abbreviations at the beginning of each volume, and each volume has its own detailed subject and author index.

Online:

Foreign Relations of the United States FRUS - from Hein Online.
Choose FRUS upon connecting.
Foreign Relations of the United States - from the State Department.
Includes many volumes online.

Print:

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1932- . Washington, D.C.: The Department. U.S. G.P.O., 1948- .
Van Pelt Library Stacks: JX 233 A3], 1932-1964/68 and continuing. Cumulative indexes, shelved with the set, cover 1861-1899 and 1900-1918 (but the latter does not include the volumes dealing with World War I or the Russian Revolution). The World War II years (1939-1945) are covered in a commercially-produced index (Van Pelt Library Reference: JX 1416 C85). These volumes have several sub-series relating to special topics.
Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States 1870-1931. Washington, D.C.: G. P. O., 1870-1931.
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: JX 233 A3; microfiche 483, 1870-1931]

Hearings

For hearings at Penn, see Congressional Hearings - Research Guide

National Security Files

National Security Files Bethesda, Md., University Publications of America, 1996.


The Lyndon B. Johnson national security files, 1963-1969.
  • Africa (Microfilm 4330)
  • Asia and the Pacific (Microfilm 3987)
  • Asia and the Pacific, first supp. (Microfilm 4327)
  • Asia and the Pacific (Microfilm 3987)
  • Israel national security files, 1963-1969 (Microfilm 4329)
  • Latin America (Microfilm 4322)
  • Middle East (Microfilm 3988)
  • United Nations (Microfilm 4326)
  • USSR and Eastern Europe (Microfilm 4325)
  • Vietnam, special subjects 1963-1969 (Microfilm 4323)
  • Vietnam, first suplement (Microfilm 4320)
  • Vietnam, Nov 1963 - June 1965 (Microfilm 4321)
  • Western Europe (Microfilm 4328)


The John F. Kennedy national security files. 1961-1963.
  • Africa (Microfilm 4331)
  • Asia and the Pacific (Microfilm 3985)
  • Latin America (Microfilm 4314)
  • The Middle East, (Microfilm 3986)
  • The U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe (Microfilm 4324)
  • Vietnam (Microfiom 4332)
  • Western Europe (Microfilm 4319)

Presidential/Executive Documents

Presidential Libraries - National Archives
Includes a list of links to the individual presidential libraries.
Hein Online - U.S. Presidential Library
Upon connecting, choose U.S. Presidential Library. Includes such titles as Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Public Papers of the Presidents, CFR Title 3 (Presidents), Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, and other documents related to U.S. Presidents.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.
Hein Online. Currently covers Herbert Hoover - George W. Bush (1931-2004)
See also: GPO Access version covering George Bush from 1991, Clinton from 1993 to 2001, and George W. Bush forward.
Print version. [Van Pelt Library Stacks: J 80 A 283], 1929-33, 1945 - . See also: Roosevelt, Franklin. Public Papers and Addresses. 13 vols. [Van Pelt Library Stacks: 973.917 R675.2]

American Presidency Project
Established in 1999 as a collaboration between John Woolley and Gerhard Peters at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The document section includes: Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Public Papers of the Presidents, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Annual Messages to Congress on the State of the Union, Inaugural Addresses, Saturday Radio Addresses, News Conferences, News Conferences, Presidential Signing Statements, Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speeches, Presidential Candidates Debates, and more.

Clinton Presidential Center
Includes press briefings, radio addresses, Executive Orders, and all other publicly released White House publications between January 20, 1993 through January 20, 2001.

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Papers via HeinOnline - Penn only.
Online: Heinonline. Text from 1965-present. Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration and contains statements, messages, and other Presidential materials released by the White House during the preceding week. Texts of Addresses, Bill Signings, Communications to Congress and Federal Agencies, Executive Orders, Interviews, Statements, etc. Quarterly, semi-annual, and annual name and subject indexes. -- Most documents are eventually included in the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
See also: GPO Access version from GPO, 1993- .
Print version. [Van Pelt Library: J 80 A284; latest in Reference], 1965 -.
United States. President. A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents 1789-1897 by James D. Richardson. Washington [D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1896-99.
Van Pelt Library Stacks: 973D Un3.2 v. 1. 1789-181, v. 2. 1817-1833, v. 3. 1833-1841, v. 4. 1841-1849, v. 5. 1849-1861, v. 6. 1861-1869, v. 7. 1869-1881, v. 8. 1881-1889, v. 9. 1889-1897, v. 10. Appendix. Index. Supplement, 1789-1902 / comp. and arr. by George Raywood Devitt. 1903.
U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909: guide to documents listed in the Checklist of U.S. public documents, 1789-1909, NOT printed in the U.S. Serial set. C.I.S, 1990- 6 vols in 24.
[Van Pelt Reference Stacks: JK 411 C53 1990] The accompanying set of over 25,000 microfiche is not owned by the Library. Univ of Calif at LA, Southern Univ, Boston Public, Univ of N. Carolina, Cleveland Pub hold the microfiche and will lend. -- Some documents may be found in Franklin or the card catalog. Search RLG Union Catalog and WorldCat for others.
CIS Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations . Wash, CIS. Covers 1789-1983.
[Free Library of Philadelphia Central Government Publication Microfiche 347.3026 C47p]
CIS index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1910-1932 : guide to documents not printed in the U.S. serial set. Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, c1996- v.
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: JK 411 C532 1996], pt.1:v.1-5 pt.2:v.1-6

Public Laws

Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws - LexisNexis Congressional
Includes Statutes at Large from 1789 to the present. Full text of all Public Laws from 1988 to the present.
Public Laws - GPO Access
Public Laws for the 104th Congress (1995-1996) to the present.
Public Laws - THOMAS
Includes Public Laws from 1973 to the present.

Serial Set

Sequentially numbered bound volumes of congressional reports and documents.
Besides committee reports relating to pending legislation, the Serial Set included the House and Senate Journals from 1818-1954. In the 19th century, approximately 50% of Senate and House Documents were reprints of executive branch or departmental publications. It is worth considering the Serial Set as a source of all types of government publications into the first quarter of the 20th century.

Serial Set from LexisNexis Congressional
Covers Congressional Reports and Documents from Serial Set volume 2, 15th Congress (1818-1819) to present.

Serial Set from Library of Congress, American Memory, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation - 23rd Congress, 1833-1835 to 64th Congress, 1915-1917

Serial Set from GPO Access
100th congress, 1987 to the present.

Serial Set (print version) 15th Cong.- , 1817- .
[High Density Storage], volumes 1 (15th Congress, 1817) through 13167 (94th Congress, 1967).
[Van Pelt Library Stacks: J 74 A22], 13168 (95th Congress, 1968) to the present.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Documents Room: Microprint #4], 1817-1960, volumes 1-13167.
Use the Numerical List at [Van Pelt Library Refrence: Z 1223 .A15] to convert document numbers to Serial Set numbers.

Staff Directories

Statutes at Large

Statutes at Large, 1789- (Containing the Acts of Congress, including the Public Laws of the U.S.)
The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Every public and private law passed by Congress is published in the Statutes at Large, in order of the date it was enacted into law.

LexisNexis Congressional.
All statutes are available via LexisNexis Congressional. Choose Laws, then Statutes at Large.

Hein Online.
All statutes are available via Hein Online.

The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America .., 1789-1845. Buffalo, N.Y. : Dennis & Co., 1963.
Print : [Biddle Law Library: KF 50 U5], v.1-8 1789-1845.

The Statutes at Large of the United States of America, 1851-1936. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
Print: [Biddle Law Library: KF 50 U5], v.9(1851)-v.20(1877-1879), v.22(1881-1883)-v.49(1936).

United States Statutes at Large, 1937- . Washington : Published by authority of law under the direction of the Administrator of General Services by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service : Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 1937-.
Print: [Biddle Law Library: KF 50 U5], vol. 50 to the present. Print: [Van Pelt Library Stacks: KF 50 U58], v.78 (1964)-v.101:pt.3 (1987), v.106:pt.1 (1992)-present.
Alternative source: From 1789 to 1873, the text of the statutes can be found in the appendices to each volume of the three forerunners to the Congressional Record: Annals of Congress, 1789-1824; (Van Pelt J 11 A5), Register of Debates, 1824-1837; (Van Pelt J 11 D5), and Congressional Globe, 1852-1873 (Van Pelt J 11 G5).

Supreme Court Decisions and Briefs

Hein Online
Choose U.S. Supreme Court Library. Includes U.S. Reports (1754-c. 2004), as well as U.S. Reports Preliminary Prints (2002-2006) and U.S. Reports Slip Opinions (2002-present).
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 1832-1978
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 1832-1978 is derived from two essential reference sources. For the period 1832 (when printed Court records began) through 1915, the documents are based primarily on the holdings of the Jenkins Memorial Law Library, Americas first law library, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For 1915-1978 the source is the Library of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, a nationally recognized research facility and the single largest member supported law library in the United States. Approximately 150,000 Supreme Court cases are featured, the majority consisting of those for which the Court did not give a full opinion.

Oyez
Read about Oyez. Oyez aims to be a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court since the installation of a recording system in October 1955. Information about major constitutional cases heard and decided by the Supreme Court. Digital records of Court proceedings in RealAudio.

GPO Access
Search Supreme Court Decisions, 1937 - 1975
U.S. Supreme Court Opinions 1992/93-1999/2000

FindLaw: U.S. Supreme Court Opinions
US Supreme Court decisions from 1893 to the present, from volume 150 of the U.S. Reports. .

Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court
Text of decisions from May, 1990 to the present. Plus over 600 historic cases. Compliments of Legal Information Institute, Cornell University.

FedWorld/FLITE Supreme Court Decisions
Text of decisions from 1937 to 1975.

United States Code

LexisNexis Congressional
Current version. Choose Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws from left menu.

U.S. Code - Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives.
The Office of the Law Revision Counsel prepares and publishes the United States Code, which is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States.

United States Code - Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School.
Based on the version provided by the U.S. House.

GPO Access
1994 through 2000 Editions, plus Supplements.

V. Key Statistical Sites from the U.S. Government

Major Statistical Sources

  • Statistical Abstract of the United States - all editions, 1878-present.
  • FEDSTATS -
    Provides easy access to statistics produced by over 100 government agencies.
  • STAT-USA/Internet
    Business, trade and economic information data.
  • LexisNexis Statistical
    Statistical Universe indexes statistical data published in federal, state, and selected privately published titles, at the table level. In some cases the fulltext of the document is also available. Includes all American Statistics Index (ASI) abstract and index records for statistical publications from the U.S. government, indexing from Statistical Reference Index for non-governmental publications, links to hundreds of full-text documents published from 1994 to the present, and some state and international publications.
  • Census Bureau
  • Economics Statistics - White House
  • Social Statistics - White House

Agriculture

Crime

Defense

Economics

Education

Environment

Health

Housing / Urban Development

Immigration

Population

Transportation

Weather Data

VI. Published Guides to U.S. Government Documents

Morehead, Joe. Introduction to United States Government Information Sources. 6th ed. Englewood, Colo., Libraries Unlimited, 1999.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: ZA5055.U6 M67 1999]

Herman, Edward. Locating United States Government Information; a Guide to Sources. 2d ed. Buffalo, Hein, 1997. 580p.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: J 83 H47 1997]

Sears, Jean. Using Government Information Sources; print and electronic. 2d ed. Phoenix, Oryx, 1994. 539p. Index. Subject search, agency search, statistical search, special techniques: legislative history, budget, treaties, etc.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: J 83 S4 1994]

Robinson, Judith. Tapping the Government Grapevine; the User-friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources 3rd ed. Phoenix, Oryx, 1999.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: J 83 R633 1998]

Schmeckebier, Laurence. Government publications and their use. 2d ed. Washington, Brookings Institution, 1969. 502p.
The standard guide until replaced by Morehead.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: Z 1223 Z7 S3 1969]

Boyd, Anne. United States Government Publications 3d. ed. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1949. 627p.
Superseded in part by Schmeckebier but still useful for historical purposes.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 Z7 B7 1950]

Kurian, George. A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government . N.Y., Oxford Univ. Pr., 1998. 741p. Index.
An A-Z historical profile of government departments and agencies. Appendix of basic documents.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: JK 9 H57 1998]

Librarian's Guide to Public Records. Tempe, BRB Pubs., 1995.
299p.
11,500 major federal, state, and county public record locations.
[Van Pelt Library Reference Desk: JK 468 P76 L53995]

VII. Document Depository Tools

Send mail concerning this page to Patty Lynn at lynn@pobox.upenn.edu

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