Contents

I. Document Holdings at the Penn Library

II. Finding Print Documents at Penn

III. Key Indexes and Catalogs for Accessing or Identifying Documents

IV. Executive, Legislative, Judiciary Branch Links

V. Selected High Use Documents - Electronic and Print Versions

American State Papers | Bills | Congressional Record | Constitution | Declassified Documents | Federal Budget | Foreign Relations | Federal Register | Hearings | National Security Files | Presidential/Executive Documents | Public Laws | Serial Set | Staff Directories | Statutes at Large | Supreme Court Decisions | U.S. Code

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

Major Statistical Sites | Agriculture | Crime | Defense | Economics | Education | Environment | Health | Housing | Immigration | Population | Transportation | Weather

VII. Published Research Guides to Using U.S. Government Documents

VIII. Document Depository Tools

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. Franklin and the Main Card Catalog in Van Pelt provide access to much of this material, but the Library also has some uncataloged resources, particularly in microfiche.

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.

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.

Print Collections, the 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 should be 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 Government Microforms Area: Microprint #5) -- From January 1956 through December 1980, the library has a complete collection of U.S. government depository publications on microprint. These can be identified by using the Monthly Catalog, 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 Government Microforms Area) -- From January 1980 to December 1985, the Readex republication of all depository documents was received on microfiche. We discontinued this subscription in 1985.

Depository Microfiche, 1981- . (Van Pelt Library Government Microforms Area) Penn libraries select approximately 45% of the U.S. government documents available on deposit. Although many depository documents are received in paper and are cataloged on Franklin, a larger number are available only on microfiche. Documents on microfiche are arranged by SuDocs number. Use the Monthly Catalog, RLIN/Eureka, and OCLC's WorldCat to find SuDocs numbers.

Local Catalogs

Uncataloged Items

The bulk of Penn Library document holdings (see printed Serial Set, Readex Microprint, Readex microfiche, Depository microfiche) are not cataloged. Various indexes must be used to identify these items.

Franklin, the Penn Library online catalog.

There are many fully cataloged U.S. paper documents from all time periods in the Penn collection. For example: many publications of the Census Office (after 1910, the Bureau of the Census) and selected congressional committee reports, documents, prints, and hearings from the 1920's through to the present are held. Currently some U.S. depository microfiche and all U.S. depository CD-ROM's are cataloged in Franklin.
All documents listed in the old card catalog, should now be found also in Franklin.

Item Lister

Use this resource to find out which items numbers are currently recieved by the Penn Library depostiory. Our depository number is 0513B. Use RLIN or Worldcat to discover the item number for a particular document.

Depository List.

Last hand edited in 1994, the printed Depository List identified those categories of U.S. government documents which were available for selection on deposit at that time. It is arranged by Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) number. Our copy of the List was marked for the categories selected by Penn libraries and therefore likely to be included in our microfiche collections. Use the Monthly Catalog and RLIN/Eureka to find SuDocs numbers.

Current

GPO Access

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

Web Indexes to Documents and Government Information

FirstGov

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

Federal Web Locator - Information Center at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

FedWorld.gov

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.

RLIN/ (RLG Union Catalog)

Many publications of the Government Printing Office from the late 1960s are included in the RLIN Union Catalog. The bibliographic information includes the Superintendent of Documents number (SuDocs #), by which our microfiche collection (1980- ) of depository documents is arranged. Not all libraries catalog their government document holdings.

Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1893- .

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z 1223 A18]

Since 1940, the Monthly Catalog is 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. A web version of the Monthly Catalog covers 1994 to the present and a Telnet version covers 1976 to the present. The bibliographic records are also available on RLIN/Eureka and OCLC WorldCat from 1976.

CIS Index, and CIS Annual, 1970- .

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: JK 1001 C65]

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.

Retrospective

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]

• Executive - White House | Federal Agencies | Departments | Independent Agencies
• Legislative - Senate | House | THOMAS | Library of Congress
• Judicial - Supreme Court | U.S. Courts | FindLaw

American State Papers

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

Congressional Universe
Includes Hot bills and topics section, Bill Tracking from 1989 to the present, and full text bills from 1989 to the present.

THOMAS - Legislative Information on the Internet
Includes the full-text of House and Senate Bills for the 101st Congress (1989-90) to the present, bill summary and status from 1973 to the present, as well as lists of hot bills by topic, popular name, and number.

Congressional Bills - from GPO Access
Includes access to Congressional Bills from the 103rd Congress (1993-1994) to the present.

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.)

Free Library has:

1st-72nd Congress (1789-1932) on microfilm.

73rd - 96th Congress (1933-1980) on fiche.

97th (1981 - present) on depository fiche.

Congressional Record

Congressional Universe
Full-text of the Congressional Record from 1985 to the present.

GPO Access - Congressional record
Full-text from 1995 to present, Congressional Record Index from 1983 to the present.

THOMAS, Legislative Information on the Internet
Access to the full text of the Congressional Record from the 101st Congress to the present, as well as the Congressional Record Index from 1994 to the present.

A Century of Law Making for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873
Annals of Congress (1789 to 1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837), and Congressional Globe (1833-1873).

Congressional Record.

Daily issues [Van Pelt Reference Documents Room], recent year.
Bound edition (paper) [Van Pelt Library Stacks: J11.R5], 1874 - present, [1985-1989, incomplete].
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

Constitution of the United States - National Archives and Records Administration

Declassified Documents

Declassified Documents Reference System Online

Covers declassified documents issues from 1941 through the 1990. Documents have been declassified since 1974. Document types include correspondence and memoranda, minutes of cabinet meetings, technical studies, national security policy statements, and intelligence reports.

Declassified Documents Catalog, 1975- . Woodbridge, CT., Research Publications.

Provides abstracting and subject indexing of over 70,000 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: Z1223 A1 D325).

The Declassified Documents Reference System. Woodbridge, Ct., Research Publications. The text of the Declassified Documents on microform, 1975- .

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfiche 956]

Federal Budget

Budget of the United States Government.

Federal Budget publications back to 1996.

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.

Foreign Relations

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]

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1932- . Washington, D.C.: The Department. U.S. G.P.O., 1948- Library

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: JX 233 A3], 1932-1964/68 and continuing. 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. 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.

Foreign Relations of the United States - from the State Department.

Includes many volumes online.

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. 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.

Indexed by: Federal register index, (cumulates monthly to annual index) ; and by: CIS Federal Register Index, 1984- .

Federal Register Online via GPO Access 1994- .

Hearings

For hearings at Penn, see Van Pelt Library Guide on Congressional Hearings

Congressional Hearings on the Web - from the University of Michigan Documents Center

Congressional Universe Congressional Universe has written submitted testimony for almost all congressional hearings from 1993 forward. There are transcripts of discussion sessions from selected hearings. Coverage from 1988 to 1993 is less comprehensive.

Congressional Hearings - GPO Access
Limited number of hearings from the 105th Congress, 1997 - .

National Security Files