Lockwood Library became a selective federal government depository in 1963. Its Government Documents Collection receives approximately 80% of the documents available to the Federal Depository Library Program (click here for an audio description ). The Government Printing Office (GPO) administers the depository program, prints publications for all three branches of the federal government, and distributes them to libraries in every Congressional district. The UB Libraries also hold a wide variety of congressional materials from the eighteenth century, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. Most federal government titles owned by UB are listed in the Libraries Catalog . The Monthly Catalog of Government Publications as well as various subject and title indexes also provide access.

The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System Central Library (Lafayette Square) became a depository library in 1895 and holds many of the earlier materials unavailable at UB.

• Catalogs & Databases
• Agencies & Departments
• Congress - Types of Publications
• Congress - Additional Information
• Census Information
• Statistics
• Search Engines
• Subject Directories
• Other Sources
• Textbooks

Catalogs & Databases

Catalog of US Government Publications (US Government Printing Office)
http://catalog.gpo.gov
Indexes US government publications in all formats issued since 1976. GPO intends to add earlier documents in the future. The GPO Monthly Catalog , published by OCLC, is a commercial edition of the same. ( http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/mocat.html ) Use the Monthly Catalog to locate documents published before 1976.

Cumulative Title Index to United States Public Documents, 1789-1976 , 16 volumes (United States Historical Documents Institute)
Lockwood Reference Z1223 .A115

GPO Access (US Government Printing Office)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov
Retrieve information by branch of government; locate depository libraries; and view data intended for use by children, both little kids and big kids. GPO Access Online Resources: A-Z Resource List is a directory to all GPO Access Databases. ( http://www.gpoaccess.gov/databases.html )

Index to Government Periodicals (Infordata International)
Lockwood Reference Z1223.Z7 I5 (1970-1987)
Capen Multimedia Center CD-ROM Z1223.Z7 I5 (1989-1999)
http://library.louisville.edu/government/periodicals/periodall.html (selected full-text)

Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (US Government Printing Office)
Lockwood Reference Z1223 .A18 (1929-1991)
Lockwood Documents US GP 3.8: (1956-1995)
UGL/SEL Reference Z1223 A18 (1964-1991)
Capen Multimedia Center CD-ROM Z1223 .A18 (1996-2002)
The Monthly Catalog was the official index to US government documents between 1895 and the mid-1990's. Use the Monthly Catalog with the following supplemental tools:

• Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 1900-1971 , 15 volumes(Carrollton Press)
  Lockwood Reference Z1223 .A182
• United States Government Publications, Monthly Catalog: Quinquennial Cumulative Personal Author Index , 1941-1975 (Pierian Press)
  Lockwood Reference Z1223 .A1823

Use the Catalog of US Government Publications to locate items published since 1976.

New Electronic Titles (US Government Printing Office)
http://catalog.gpo.gov/F/?func=file&file_name=find-net&local_base=NEWTITLE
Lists electronic-only government titles published each month.

Government Information (University at Buffalo Libraries)
http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/infotree/resourcesbysubject.asp?subject=Government+Information
Links to and describes key government-related databases available at UB.

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Agencies and Departments

Agency Index (Washburn University School of Law Library)
http://www.washlaw.edu/doclaw/executive5m.html
Leads to Web sites of executive and independent federal agencies, with direct links to their publications, charts, forms, opinions, libraries, manuals, and directories, if available.

LSU Libraries Federal Agencies Directory (Louisiana State University in cooperation with the US Government Printing Office)
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/fedgov.html
Links to official federal government Web sites.

Statistical Agencies (US Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy)
http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies
A directory of statistical-related agencies that highlights contact information and key statistics.

United States Government Manual (US National Archives and Records Administration. Office of the Federal Register)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/index.html (1995-present)
Lockwood Reference JK 421 A3 (current year)
Lockwood Documents US AE 2.108/ 2 (1985-previous year)
Lockwood Documents US GS 4.109: (1936-1984/1985 with gaps)
The federal government's official directory that includes agency descriptions; staff listings; and contact information within each branch of government.

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Congress

Types of Congressional Publications

Bills: Bills are proposals for legislation introduced into Congress. They require House and Senate approval, and the President's signature to become law. Special types of bills include:

• Resolutions: Requires the approval of one chamber to become effective. Resolutions are not law, but reflect the sense of their respective houses . Rules affecting one chamber are usually enacted as resolutions.
• Concurrent Resolutions: Concurrent resolutions must be passed by the House and the Senate for enactment. Presidential approval is unnecessary.
• Joint Resolutions: Like bills, joint resolutions require approval by both chambers and the President for enactment. Joint resolutions often correct mistakes in existing legislation, and sometimes deal with foreign affairs. There are no practical differences between joint resolutions and bills.

  Current Bills

  • Congressional Bills: Main Page (US Government Printing Office)
    http://www.gpoaccess.gov/bills/index.html
    1993-present.
  • LexisNexis Congressional
    http://web.lexisnexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_legkeyword.html?rb=3 (search keywords)
    http://web.lexisnexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_legnumber.html?documentType=5 (search by bill numbers)
    Full text coverage from 1989-present.
  • THOMAS (US Library of Congress)
    http://thomas.loc.gov
    Includes full texts of bills from 1989 - present, and summaries from 1973 - present.

  Historical Bills

  • House of Representatives (Microfiche)
    1979-2000
    Bills (US MicFiche Y1.4/6:)
    Resolutions (US MicFiche Y1.4/7:)
    Joint Resolutions (US MicFiche Y1.4.8:)
    Concurrent Resolutions (US MicFiche Y1.4/9:)
    
  • Senate (Microfiche)
    1979-2000
    Bills (US MicFiche Y1.4/1:)
    Resolutions (US MicFiche Y1.4/2:)
    Joint Resolutions (US MicFiche Y1.4./3:)
    Concurrent Resolutions (US MicFiche Y1.4/4:)

    The University Libraries does NOT own either of the following bill collections. Request information through Interlibrary Loan.

  • Library of Congress
    Microfilm covers 1789-1932
  • Congressional Information Service (CIS)
    Microfiche covers 1933-1988.

Congressional Hearings: Hearings are forums held by Congressional committees where experts in the field and government officials are invited to testify. Committee members typically question the witnesses following their prepared testimonies. This data can become interesting when the Congress people or Senators and witnesses reflect different political viewpoints.

Current Hearings

• Libraries Catalog
• Congressional Hearings: Main Page (US Government Printing Office)
  http://www.gpoaccess.gov/chearings/index.html
  Covers 1997-present
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=Hearings&DateRestrictionControl=SINCE70
  Indexes hearings published since 1970.
• Committee Web pages
  http://www.house.gov
  http://www.senate.gov
  Dates vary depending upon the committee

Historical Hearings

• CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings
  Lockwood Reference Z1223.Z9 C5 (printed index, 1833-1969)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche J74.A3 (1869-1952)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicPrint (1956-1980)
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=Hearings&DateRestrictionControl=ALL
  Indexes published and unpublished hearings from 1824 through the present.
• Unpublished US House of Representatives Committee Hearings
  Lockwood Reference KF40.C52 1988 (index)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche KF27.A2 1988 (1831/1833-1936)
• Unpublished US Senate Committee Hearings
  Lockwood Reference KF40.C55 1986 (index only)
  The print index covers the 18th to the 88th Congress (1823-1964). Corresponding microfiche are not owned by UB, but are accessible through Interlibrary Loan

Congressional Serial Set : Serial Set -Congressional Reports and Documents: Probably the single most important collection of US Government publications, the Congressional Serial Set reproduces House and Senate reports and documents beginning with the 15th Congress (1817).

• Reports are statements issued by Congressional committees to Congress summarizing hearings and issues, analyzing legislation, and making recommendations for legislation.
• Documents include communications to Congress from the Executive branch, annual reports issued by patriotic organizations, and other publications considered by Congress to be in the public interest, such as Congressional histories.

The forerunner to the Serial Set, the American State Papers, covers 1789-1817, plus selected latter materials omitted from the Serial Set.

Current Reports and Documents

Documents

• Congressional Documents: Main Page (US Government Printing Office)
  http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/index.html
  1995-present.
• House Documents
  US MicFiche Y1.1/7:
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=HSDocs&DateRestrictionControl=SINCE70
  Indexing begins with those published in 1970 and full text begins with those published in 1995.
• Senate Documents (US Congress. Senate)
  US MicFiche Y1.1/3:

Reports

• Congressional Reports: Main Page (US Government Printing Office)
  http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/index.html 1995-present.
• House Reports
  US MicFiche Y1.1/8:
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=HSReports&DateRestrictionControl=SINCE70
  Indexing begins with those published in 1970 and full text begins with those published in 1990..
  
• Senate Reports (US Congress. Senate)
  US MicFiche Y1.1/5:
• THOMAS (US Library of Congress)
  http://thomas.loc.gov/
  1995-present.

Historical Reports and Documents

• American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States 1789-1838 (US Congress)
  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsp.html
  Lockwood Reference Z1223.Z9 C65 1975 (index)
  Lockwood J33.A5
• United States Congressional Serial Set
  Capen Multimedia Center MicPrint Y 1.1/ 2: (volumes 1-190 and 308-3557)
  Covers 1789-1898 with gaps.
  
• United States Congressional Serial Set 1817-present (US Congress)
  Lockwood Reference Z1223.Z9 C65 (index)
  Lockwood Documents US Y1.2/2 (1817-1969 with many gaps; the print collection includes selected volumes with maps, drawings and other special features that are used best in paper format. Consult US Serial Set Digital Collection for other Serial Set volumes.)
• US Serial Set Digital Collection (LexisNexis)
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/serial_set.html
  Provides full texts of the American State Papers and the Serial Set from 1789-1969. Selected items that have maps, drawings, and other special features may be available in paper format .

The following reports and documents are excluded from the Serial Set :

• Senate Executive Documents and Reports
  Lockwood Reference J35.U54 1987 (index)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche J35.U54 1987 (1817-1969)
  Reproduces Presidential messages to the Senate that include texts of proposed treaties and nominations. Nominations are good sources for biographical information

Congressional Record (Debates and Proceedings of Congress): The debates and proceedings reproduce speeches made in the House and Senate by Representatives and Senators, plus documentation they insert into the record, such as newspaper articles and statistics. Note, this information is not verbatim. Senators and Representatives have the right to insert pretend speeches into the record-speeches that appear to have been made, but the "speaker" did not actually do so. Congress people can also edit their remarks prior to publication.

Current Congressional Records

• Congressional Record
  Lockwood Documents US X1.1: (congress/session numbers) (1873-present with gaps in earlier years)
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_reckeyword.html
  Covers 1985+.
  
• THOMAS (US Library of Congress)
  http://thomas.loc.gov
  1989 - present.

Historical Information

• Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States 1789-1824
  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwac.html
  Lockwood J11.A5
  Capen Multimedia Center MicCard E169.1.L4
• Register of Debates in Congress 1826-1837
  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwrd.html
  Lockwood Collection J11.A5
• Congressional Globe
  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwcg.html
  Lockwood J11.G5 (1833-1873)
• Congressional Record (Microfiche)
  Capen Multimedia Center US MicFiche X 1.1: (congress/session numbers) (1873-1938 )

Committee Prints: Prints are publications prepared by committee staff or by the Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service that Senators and Representatives use as background information.

Current Committee Prints

• The Libraries Catalog .
• Congressional Committee Prints: Main Page (US Government Printing Office)
  http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cprints/index.html Covers 1997-present
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=ComPrints&DateRestrictionControl=SINCE70
  Indexes information from 1970 to date.
• Committee Web pages
  http://www.house.gov
  http://www.senate.gov
  Dates vary depending upon the committee.

Historical Committee Prints

• CIS US Congressional Committee Prints (Congressional Information Service, Inc.)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche J74.C5 1976
  Lockwood Reference Z1223.Z7 C66 (print index)
  The index and microfiche cover the 1830's through 1969.
  
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=ComPrints&DateRestrictionControl=ALL

Additional Congressional Information

Congress & Legislative Information (University at Buffalo. Arts and Sciences Libraries)
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/busdoc/congress.html
UB librarians selected what they consider the best resources about Congress and the legislative process.

Congressional Quarterly Almanac (Congressional Quarterly)
Lockwood JK1 C66 (1950+; most recent in Reference)
UGL/SEL JK1 C66 (1961+ with gaps; most recent in Reference)
Summarizes the previous year in Congress providing an overview of the session, spending highlights, and major legislative activities. See the CQ Weekly Report for current updates and the CQ Electronic Library for data in electronic format.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) (US Library of Congress)
CRS is a section of the Library of Congress that produces background reports and performs other research activities for Congress. Current reports deal with popular, newsworthy topics. Although federal law prohibits distribution of CRS reports to depository libraries, selected materials are still available on the Web and through paid subscriptions.

• Congressional Research Service (Google)
  http://2act.org/p/576.html
  
• Congressional Research Service Reports (University of North Texas)
  http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/index.tkl
  Indexes in one place CRS reports made available on various Web sites since 1990.
• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs (US Department of State)
  http://fpc.state.gov/c4763.htm
  Includes selected reports about international affairs covering 1999 to date.
• Franklin Pierce Law Center IP Mall
  http://www.ipmall.info/hosted_resources/crs_reports.asp
  Reproduces reports on copyright, cyberlaw, and intellectual property.
• LexisNexis Congressional
  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/form/cong/s_pubadvanced.html?srcboxes=CRSReports&DateRestrictionControl=ALL
• Major Studies and Issue Briefs of the Congressional Research Service (LexisNexis)
  Capen Multimedia Center E 740.5 M31 (index)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicFilm E 740.5 M31 (1916-1992)
  Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche E 740.5 M31 (1993-present)
  The Libraries' receive microfiche between nine and twelve months after CRS prepares the reports. The collection covers 1916 to date.
• Over 300 Congressional Research Service Reports That Were Pulled from the Web (The Memory Hole)
  http://thememoryhole.org/CRS/
  Reproduces selected texts and links to other sources of CRS reports.

Congressional Staff Directory (Bobbs-Merrill Co.)
Lockwood JK1012 .C66 (1992+ with gaps; most recent in Reference)
Provides biographies of Senators and Representatives including committee memberships, office staff, state and district information, and contact information. Most people will rarely get through to their Senators or Representatives. Speaking to relevant staff people can be equally as important.

LexisNexis Congressional
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/cis.html
Indexes and provides selected full texts of current and historical congressional publications. Coverage also includes full texts of the Federal Register and the United States Code . Select CIS Index to access materials published since 1970, and either Historical Full Text or Historical Indexes to access earlier items.

CQ Electronic Library (Congressional Quarterly)
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/cq.html
Provides online access to Congressional Quarterly news, analysis, and articles. Consult the CQ Weekly Report and the Congressional Quarterly Almanac for comparable information in print format.

CQ Weekly (Congressional Quarterly)
Lockwood Reference JK1 .C15 (1998-present)
Summarizes weekly happenings in Congress. Consult the CQ Electronic Library for data in electronic format and the Congressional Quarterly Almanac for annual summaries.

THOMAS: US Congress on the Internet (US Library of Congress)
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/Thomas.html
Besides covering bills , the Congressional Record , and reports described above, THOMAS also covers public laws (full text 1989-present and summaries from 1973-present) and roll call votes (1989-present); and links to House and Senate committee home pages.

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Census Information

Statistics

American Statistics Index (ASI) and Microfiche Library (LexisNexis)
Lockwood Index Reference Z7554.U5 A4 (1974-present)
Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche HA 195 A8 (1978-present)
The ASI Microfiche Library is a collection of federal government statistical publications. Lockwood Library purchases microfiche only for those publications not already distributed to federal depository libraries. Arrangement is by ASI accession number (annual and journal publications have the same accession number each year). LexisNexis Statistical indexes documents in ASI .

FedStats (US Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy)
http://www.fedstats.gov
A one-stop shopping mall for statistics published by the federal government. FedStats covers agencies whose statistical activities are at least $500,000. Separate sections include:

• Topic Links A to Z: A list of hundreds of topics.
• MapStats: Provides socioeconomic profiles of states, counties, and Congressional districts.
• Agencies Listed Alphabetically and Agencies by Subjects: Both summarize key statistics and offer contact information.
• Data Access Tools: Links to selective databases.
• Press Releases.
• Kids' Pages.
  

FedStats also includes a search engine, but it is not a very good one. Use LexisNexis Statistical for better indexing.

LexisNexis Statistical
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/statuniv.html
Indexes and abstracts statistics from the federal government as well as the 50 states.

Statistical Abstract of the United States (US Bureau of the Census)
Capen Multimedia Center US CD-ROM 106: C 3.134/ 7: 9 (1993+; most recent permanently loaded on a Lockwood Reference Department computer)
http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ (1878+ with gaps)
Lockwood Reference HA202 (1946+ with gaps; most recent at Reference Desk)
Lockwood HA202 (1894+ with gaps)
Lockwood Documents US C3.134 (1957+ with gaps)
ARCH/PLAN HA202 (2000+; most current in reference)
UGL/SEL Reference HA202 (1999+)
Capen Multimedia Center MicFiche HA195 .U5 1972 fiche 3095-96 (1878-1945)
Compiles statistics from US government and other sources on population, education, government operations, crime, labor, and more. Most tables include at least five years of historical data. The CD-ROM editions have enhanced search capabilities and often include more detailed tables than the print or Web versions.

Subjects Index (US Bureau of the Census)

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Search Engines

Business.gov (US Small Business Administration in cooperation with other federal agencies)
http://www.business.gov/
The federal government's attempt to create a one-stop place for locating business information. Browse directories or search with keywords to locate data.

LexisNexis Congressional

Google UncleSam
http://www.google.com/unclesam
Enter simple phrases or words to retrieve federal and state government Internet sites. Special features let users search for keywords in URLs and specified file types.

• Google search 1: The search "CPI inurl:bls" retrieves data about the Consumer Price Index in Web sites that include the phrase BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) in their URLs.
• Google search 2: The search "CPI inurl:BLS filetype:pdf" retrieves data about the Consumer Price Index in PDF files that include the phrase BLS in their URLs. Filetype:doc, filetype:xls, and most other filetypes will work as well.

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Federal Resources by Topic (US Government Printing Office in cooperation with Oklahoma State University)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/topics/index.html
http://www.library.okstate.edu/govdocs/browsetopics
Provides background information for approximately 200 popular subjects.

FirstGov

Government Information on the Web Subject Index (St. Mary's University)
http://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/doc/us/subjects/submain.htm
Indexes subject guides to government documents prepared by nearly 30 colleges, universities, and other institutions.  Retrieve information by browsing a list of subject headings or by using the search box.

Government Resources by Subject An A-Z Index (University at Buffalo. Arts and Sciences Libraries)
http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/busdoc/gov-resources.html
Provides key Web sites for government information, organized by topic, for a variety of jurisdictions, including the United States federal government.

INFOMINE: Scholarly Resource Collections (University of California at Riverside)
http://infomine.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/search?govpub
Browse for information using authors; titles; Library of Congress subject headings and classification numbers; and keywords. Comprehensive search tips help users with the search engine.

USA.gov (US General Services Administration)
http://www.usa.gov
(Formerly known as FirstGov).
The federal governments attempt to create a one-stop shopping mall for all its information. USA.gov is one of the most comprehensive US Government Web sites, but it is unrealistic to find all data in one place. Shoppers often have to visit multiple malls before making purchases. The USA.gov search engine uses Vivisimo technology that separates search requests into subdivisions making it easier to locate information.

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National Security Archive (George Washington University)
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv
A research institute at George Washington University that acquires and publishes declassified federal documents. The Archive reproduces on the Web selected materials, but most are available for sale. UB does not subscribe to the Digital National Security Archive ( http://nsarchive.chadwyck.com/ ) due to financial restraints.

Public Papers of the Presidents (US National Archives and Records Administration. Office of the Federal Register)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/pubpapers/index.html (1991+)
Lockwood Documents US AE 2.114 (1929+)
Reproduces public messages, speeches, and papers of the Presidents. The University of Michigan developed a search engine that indexes this collection. ( http://www.hti.umich.edu/p/ppotpus/ )

US Government BOOKSTORE (US Government Printing Office) (GPO)
http://bookstore.gpo.gov
Lists federal government publications available for sale from GPO. Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division also sells GPO documents at http://www.claitors.com/gpo.htm .

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Textbooks

Introduction to United States Government Information Sources (Libraries Unlimited)
Lockwood Reference ZA5055 .U6 M67 1999
A comprehensive handbook.

Locating United States Government Information: A Guide to Sources (William Hein and Company)
Lockwood Reference ZA5055 .U6 H47 1997
Lockwood Reference ZA5055 .U6 H47 2001 (Internet supplement)
Attempts to instruct researchers in using federal government publications through descriptive text, illustrations, and questions and answers. The author, Edward Herman, is a Government Documents Librarian in the Arts and Sciences Libraries.

Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User Friendly Guide to US Government Information Sources (Oryx Press)
Lockwood Reference ZA5055 .U6 R63 1998
Lockwood ZA5055 .U6 R63 1998
UGL/SEL Reference ZA5055 .U6 R63 1998
The author, Judith Robinson, is a Professor in UB's Department of Library And Information Studies.

Using Government Information Sources: Electronic and Print (Oryx Press)
Lockwood Reference Desk Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
UGL/SEL Reference Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
ARCH/PLAN Reference Z1223 .Z7 S4 2001
A practical handbook for answering nearly 30 different types of government information questions.

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