Research Guides & Handbooks

Hoffmann, Frank W. and Richard J. Wood. Guide to Popular U.S. Government Publications.
Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1998.
Bobst Ref6 Z1223 .Z7 B35 1998 Ask at Reference Desk Useful finding tool for popular Federal documents, arranged by subject categories.

 

Maxwell, Bruce. Washington Online: How to Access the Federal Government on the Internet.
Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1995.
Bobst Ref6 Z1223 .Z7 M25 1995 Ask at Reference Desk Provides detailed descriptions of nearly 300 Federal Internet sites and resources, including access information and search tips.

 

Morehead, Joe. Introduction to United States Government Information Sources.
Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1999.
Bobst Ref6 ZA5055 .U6 M67 1999 Ask at Reference Desk Widely used by librarians as a basic text on government information sources. Includes chapters on general finding aids, legislative branch sources, the presidency, administrative law, legal information sources, statistical sources, intellectual property and geographic information sources.

 

Robinson, Judith S. Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-friendly Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources.
Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993.
Bobst Ref6 Z1223 .Z7 R633 1993 Ask at Reference Desk Written for anyone with a need to track down government information. Includes search tips, glossaries, access information and practice exercises.

 

Sears, Jean L. and Marilyn K. Moody. Using Government Information Sources Print and Electronic.
Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1994.
Bobst Ref6 Z1223 .Z7 S4 1994 Ask at Reference Desk Highlights search techniques for finding specialized government information. Sections cover subject search, agency search, statistical search, and special techniques. Individual chapters cover specific topical areas.

General Finding Aids

Andriot, Donna. Guide to U.S. Government Publications.
Manassas, VA: Documents Index. Annual.
Bobst Ref6 Z1223 .Z7 A574 Ask at Reference Desk Excellent resource for locating active U.S. government series titles by agency. Includes title/keyword and agency index.

Andriot, Laurie. The Internet Blue Pages.
Medford, NJ: CyberAge Books, Information Today, Inc., 1998.
Bobst Ref6 ZA5075 .A53 1998 Ask at Reference Desk A comprehensive listing of official Federal agency web sites. Entries are organized by department in the same order as the U.S. Government Manual. Use the companion web site http://www.fedweb.com/ to access more up-to-date information.

Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 1895-Present.
Bobst Ref6 U.S. Docs Aisle 24 SuDoc # GP 3.8/8:
Current issues at Index Shelf I
Also online via GPO Access URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/locators/cgp/index.html
& via OCLC FirstSearch URL: http://firstsearch.oclc.org/dbname=GPO;FSIP Official catalog of U.S. government publications. Entries include the Superintendent of Documents class number (SuDoc number). This is the call number by which most of the library's Federal documents are filed. The Monthly Catalog is available in print and online via GPO Access (1994-present) and OCLC FirstSearch (1976-present). Please note that not all documents listed in the catalog are necessarily held at Bobst. Use the catalog to identify a document and obtain its SuDoc number, then check to see if Bobst carries that document.

GPO Access.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 1994- Present.
URL: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal government, including Congressional bills, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, Congressional Record, GAO reports, Supreme Court decisions and much more. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted.

New Electronic Titles.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/locators/net/index.html The lists provides represent new additions to the Federal Depository Library Program Electronic Collection during the most recent four weeks. Full bibliographic information for the titles in these lists can be found in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. The weekly lists may be found in the NET Archive after four weeks.

Browse Topics.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/locators/topics/index.html This service arranges government Internet sites by subject topic. It is a useful starting point for browsing the wide variety of Federal government resources available via the Internet.

Government Reports Announcements & Index (GRA&I).
Washington, DC: National Technical Information Service. 1984-Present.
Bobst Ref6 U.S. Docs Aisle 24 SuDoc# C 51.9/4:
URL: http://www.ntis.gov/ Provides indexing for U.S. government-sponsored research reports produced and sold by the National Technical Information Service. NTIS also provides access to foreign technical report literature. The print version of GRA&I covers 1984-1996. For more recent NTIS publications (1990-present) see the NTIS web site. Reports listed can be purchased through the NTIS sales office. Bobst has a small collection of NTIS reports (all are cataloged in BobCat). Columbia University's School of Engineering Library maintains a major collection of NTIS documents. METRO cards can be issued to NYU researchers who wish to use Columbia's Libraries.

Subject Bibliographies.
Washington DC: Government Printing Office. Irregular.
Bobst Ref6 SuDoc# GP 3.22/2: Ask at Reference Desk
URL: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/sb/sale180.html The Government Printing Office issues bibliographies on various topics which are useful for finding government publications. These are often referred to as the "SB-series" and cover such topics as civil rights, health care, copyright, social security, defense, nuclear power, etc. Many of the publications listed are available for sale from the Government Printing Office.

Directories

Almanac of American Politics.
Washington DC: National Journal. Biennial.
Bobst Ref6 JK271 .B343 Ask at Reference Desk Provides a political overview of each state, including information on governors, senators and representatives. Includes brief biographies, office addresses and telephone numbers, election results, Congressional committee memberships, interest group ratings and key votes.

 

Congressional Directory.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Biennial.
Bobst Ref6 SuDoc# Y 4.P 93/1:1/ Ask at Reference Desk
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong016.html The official directory of Congress, providing biographical information as well as contact information, staff information and committee assignments. Also provides contact information for the Cabinet, the Judiciary and other officials, as well as Congressional district maps for all 50 states. Overlaps to some extent with the U.S. Government Manual. Most recent changes will be found on the web version.

 

Congressional Yellow Book: A Directory of Members of Congress, Including Their Committees and Key Staff Aides.
Washington, DC: Monitor Publishing. Quarterly.
Bobst Ref6 JK1012 .C62n Ask at Reference Desk Includes biographical information on Congress members, state district maps, and a directory of congressional support organizations, leadership, party and member organizations.

 

Federal Yellow Book: A Directory of the Federal Departments and Agencies.
Washington, DC: Monitor Publishing. Quarterly.
Bobst Ref6 JK6 .F44n Ask at Reference Desk Phone numbers and addresses of officials in the executive branch and independent agencies. Includes selected regional office listings.

 

Politics in America.
Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc. Biennial.
Bobst Ref6 JK1012 .P6 Ask at Reference Desk Provides articles that summarize Congress members' performance, issues, legislative influence, political alliances, elections and voting records. Includes statistics on elections, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and committee memberships.

 

United States Government Manual.
Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration. Annual.
Bobst Ref6 SuDoc# AE 2.108/2: Ask at Reference Desk
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/nara001.html Official listings of U.S. government agencies. Provides contact information as well as descriptions of agency responsibilities and statutory authorities.

 

Washington Information Directory.
Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, Inc. Annual.
Bobst Ref6 F192.3 .W33 Ask at Reference Desk Comprehensive source of contact and descriptive information for governmental and non-governmental organizations in Washington, DC.

Congressional Publications

CCH Congressional Index.
Chicago: Commerce Clearing House, Inc. 1969-Present.
Bobst Ref6 Index Table F Current Congress
Earlier Congresses at Ref6 J69 .C6 Weekly looseleaf service providing subject indexing to bills introduced in Congress. Includes a summary and an update of the legislative status of each bill.

 

CIS Annual Index to Congressional Publications.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc. 1970-Present.
Bobst Ref6 Index Table F Indexes U.S. congressional bills, hearings, committee prints, reports, documents, executive reports, senate treaty documents and public laws. Also indexes Congressional Research Service studies and non-congressional publications which are included in congressional documents. Materials cited in this set are available in microfiche in the U.S. Documents Collection.

 

CIS Index to Unpublished U.S. Senate Committee Hearings, 18th Congress-88th Congress, 1823-1964.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1986.
Bobst Ref6 Index Shelf I For various administrative reasons, these 7,300 Senate hearings were never published. Prior to 1946, there was no consistent effort within the Federal government to preserve hearings, therefore, this collection best covers the period 1947-1964. An additional volume of the index was published in 1989, bringing the coverage up to 1968. These hearings are available in microfiche at the NYU Law School Library.

 

CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index, From the Earliest Publications Through 1969.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1986.
Bobst Ref6 Index Shelf I Indexes over 30,000 published hearings beginning with the early 1800's. The hearings are available in microfiche in the U.S. Documents Collection.

 

CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Prints Index, From the Earliest Publications Through 1969.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1980.
Bobst Ref6 Index Shelf I Indexes 15,000 committee prints from the mid-1800's forward. These older committee prints are available in microfiche at the NYU Law School Library.

 

CIS U.S. Serial Set Index, 1789-1969.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1975-79.
Bobst Ref6 Index Shelf I The Serial Set index covers 330,000 congressional publications issued over a 180-year period. The Congressional documents from this time period are available in microfiche at the NYU Law School Library.

 

Congressional Masterfile 1.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1988.
Bobst CD-ROM Network Electronic version of the CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index, From the Earliest Publications Through 1969. This CD-ROM provides more powerful subject and keyword searching of the index above.

 

Congressional Record.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Daily.
Current issues in U.S. Docs Microfiche
1876-1984 in North Lounge, 1985-1997 on Index Shelf A
URL: (1994-Present) http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces150.html This is the daily "newspaper" of Congress. Official source for the text of debates and proceedings on the House and Senate floors. Also available online via GPO Access- Congressional Record, Congressional Universe (search in "Publications" section), and in Thomas Legislative Service.

 

Congressional Universe.
Bethesda, MD: CIS/Lexis-Nexis. 1970-Present.
URL: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/ Web version of CIS Annual Index above, plus provides full text of recent bills, laws, hearings, prints and reports. Also provides Congress member information and access to the Congressional Record, Congress Daily and the National Journal.

 

Major Studies and Issue Briefs of the Congressional Research Service.
Bethesda, MD: University Publications of America, 1916-Present.
Bobst Ref6 Index Table F Index to Congressional Research Service reports, a service of the Library of Congress which provides background studies to members of Congress. These reports are used by Congressional committees while considering legislation. Microfilm copies of the reports are available in the U.S. Documents Collection. In addition, many CRS reports are treated as committee prints, and may be found using the CIS Annual Index or Congressional Universe. CRS reports are also available for purchase from PennyHill Press. See their web site at http://www.pennyhill.com/ for abstracts and ordering information of reports published back to 1994. The full text of selected reports are also made available via a number of web sites such as:

• Senate Democratic Policy Committee
  http://www.senate.gov/
• Senate Rules Committee
  http://rules.senate.gov
• House Judiciary Committee
  http://www.house.gov/judiciary/
• House Rules Committee
  http://www.house.gov/rules/
• Federation of American Scientists
  http://www.fas.org/man/crs/index.html
• Gary Price, Librarian at George Washington University
  http://www.resourceshelf.com/

 

Thomas Legislative Service.
Washington, DC: Library of Congress.
URL: http://thomas.loc.gov/ Thomas is a free service offered by the Library of Congress. Provides access to full text of recent bills, bill status, public laws, committee reports, session calendars, and House and Senate schedules. Thomas is usually updated more rapidly than Congressional Universe, so it often has better coverage for most recent legislation.

Laws & Regulations

Academic Universe.
CIS/Lexis-Nexis.
URL: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe/ Provides full-text access to news from across the U.S. and around the world. Also provides access to business, legal, and medical journals, as well as corporate financial information. Includes access to Federal and state laws, regulations, and court decisions.

 

Code of Federal Regulations.
Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration.
Bobst Ref6 Law Wall Current Edition Only
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/index.html Codification of the regulations of the executive agencies of the U.S. government. This is the primary source for regulations that are currently in effect. Also available online via GPO Access- Code of Federal Regulations, as well as via Congressional Universe (search in "Regulations" section), and Academic Universe (search in "Legal Research" section, under "Federal Regulations").

 

Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation.
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1992.
Bobst Ref6 SuDoc# Y 1.1/2:SERIAL 14152 Ask at Reference Desk
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate/constitution/toc.html Periodically an official and complete reprint of the U.S. Constitution is issued along with analysis, case references and interpretation. The Constitution is reprinted in many sources, including the first volume of the U.S. Code.

 

Federal Register.
Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration.
Bobst Ref6 U.S. Docs Microfiche
URL: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html Daily register of rules and regulations issued by executive agencies. Includes announcements of proposed rules, regulations, Federal grants and executive orders. Also available online via GPO Access- Federal Register and Congressional Universe (search in "Regulations" section).

 

United States Code.
Washington, DC: Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives.
Bobst Ref6 Law Wall Current Edition Only
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong013.html Codification of the law of the United States. This is the primary official source of U.S. laws. Also available online via GPO Access- U.S. Code, Congressional Universe (search in "Laws" section), and Academic Universe (search in "Legal Research" section, under "Federal Code").

 

United States Code Congressional and Administrative News.
St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.
Bobst Ref6 Law Wall 1990-Present
Earlier issues in U.S. Documents Provides text of recently-passed public laws, as well as text of House and Senate reports regarding recent law. Good print source of primary legislative histories.

 

United States Statutes at Large.
Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration.
Bobst Ref6 Law Wall 1990-Present
Earlier issues in U.S. Documents
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/nara005.html Official text of laws passed by Congress and signed by the President. Laws are compiled in order of passage. Includes indexes to allow for searching.

Statistical Data

American Statistics Index.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service. Annual.
Bobst Ref6 Index Table F ASI provides abstracts for reports issued by Federal agencies and the executive branch that contain statistical tables. Examples include annual reports, working papers, articles from government journals, budgets and yearbooks. The indexing in ASI corresponds to the ASI microfiche set kept in cabinets in the U.S. Documents collection.

 

Bureau of Economic Analysis.
URL: http://www.bea.doc.gov/ The BEA is an agency of the Department of Commerce. Along with the Census Bureau and STAT-USA, BEA is part of the Department's Economics and Statistics Administration. The mission of BEA is to produce and disseminate accurate, timely, relevant, and cost-effective economic accounts statistics that provide government, businesses, households, and individuals with a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of economic activity. BEA's national, regional, and international economic accounts present basic information on such key issues as U.S. economic growth, regional economic development, and the Nation's position in the world economy.

 

Bureau of Labor Statistics.
URL: http://www.bls.gov/ The BLS is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS serves as a statistical resource to the Department of Labor and collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor. The New York Information Office of the BLS provides regional information for New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

FedStats.
URL: http://www.fedstats.gov/ The Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy maintains this site to provide easy access to the full range of statistics and information produced by more than 70 Federal government agencies that are of interest to the public.

 

Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970. 2 vols.
Washington DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1975.
Bobst Ref6 HA202 .B87 1975 & SuDoc# C3.134/2:H62/970 Ask at Reference Desk
Also available on CD-ROM Standalone Terminal #IV Provides convenient access to a wide variety of statistics dating back to before 1800 and up to 1970. Topics include population, vital statistics, health and medical care, migration, labor, prices, income and expenditures, agriculture, construction and housing, manufactures, transportation, communications, energy, business, trade, technology, and government. Each chapter includes detailed annotations which provide sources for additional information. Also includes time period and subject indexes. For data after 1970, see the annual volumes of the Statistical Abstract of the United States described below.

 

Statistical Abstract of the United States.
Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Annual.
Bobst Ref6 HA202 & SuDoc# C 3.134: Ask at Reference Desk
Earlier issues in Stacks & U.S. Documents Collection Statistical compendium which covers a wide variety of topics, including population, vital statistics, health and nutrition, education, law enforcement, environment, parks and recreation, elections, state and local government finance and employment, Federal government finance and employment, defense, human services, labor, income and expenditures, prices, banking and finance, business, communications and information technology, energy, science and technology, transportation, agriculture, natural resources, construction and housing, manufactures and trade. Tables provide summary statistics with footnotes indicating sources for more detailed data.

 

Statistical Universe.
Bethesda, MD: CIS/Lexis-Nexis.
URL: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/statuniv/ Web version of ASI and Statistical Abstract listed above. Provides full text of selected reports, and direct web links to data where available. Provides much more flexible searching capabilities than its print counterparts.

 

Stat-USA.
URL: http://www.stat-usa.gov/ A service of the Department of Commerce, this site provides authoritative information from the Federal government to the U.S. business, economic and trade community.

Census Materials

American FactFinder.
Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
URL: http://factfinder.census.gov/ This web site will be the Census Bureau's primary vehicle for distributing the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, 1997 Economic Census, and American Community Survey. Currently includes 1990 Census Quick and Detailed Tables, American Community Survey 1996-97, 1997 Economic Census data as released, and basic reference and thematic maps.

 

Bibliography and Reel Index: A Guide to the Microfilm Edition of United States Decennial Census Publications, 1790-1970.
Woodbridge, CT: Research Publications, Inc., 1975.
Bobst Ref6 Z7554 .U5 R47 1975 Ask at Reference Desk Indexes the microfilm collection of historical Census publications, located in the U.S. Documents Collection. Covers 180 years worth of material from the Decennial Census.

 

Cook, Kevin L. Dubester's U.S. Census Bibliography with SuDocs Class Numbers and Indexes.
Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1996.
Bobst Ref6 Z7553 .C3 C66 1996 Ask at Reference Desk
Updates the famous Census bibliography, Catalog of United States Census Publications 1790-1945, with supplemental entries and extensive indexes. Covers the same time period 1790-1945. An essential tool for accessing historical Census publications.

 

Lavin, Michael R. Understanding the Census: A Guide for Marketers, Planners, Grant Writers and Other Data Users.
Kenmore, NY: Epoch Books, Inc., 1996.
Bobst Ref6 HA37 .U55 L38 1996 Ask at Reference Desk Excellent general guide to the 1990 Census. Has basic tips for finding information in paper and electronic formats. Gives detailed descriptions of all 1990 Census Publications.

 

U.S. Census Bureau.
Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
URL: http://www.census.gov/ Home page of the Bureau of the Census. Provides access to a wide variety of finding tools for Census data and publications, as well as links to related information from other agencies.

Style Manuals & Citation Guides

Garner, Diane L. and Diane H. Smith. The Complete Guide to Citing Government Documents: A Manual for Writers and Librarians.
Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, Inc. 1993.
Bobst Ref6 Z7164 .G7 G37 1993 Ask at Reference Desk Easy to use. Provides examples of citation formats for Federal, state and local documents, technical reports, UN and international documents. Includes a specialized glossary for government documents and a listing of standard document reference sources.

 

Uncle Sam - Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications.
URL: http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resource/unclesam/citeweb.html A useful guide specific to citations of government publications. Provided by the Government Publications Department of the University of Memphis.