Historical Indexes for U.S. Government Publications

Not all the government documents in the Library are listed in DELCAT (or WorldCat Local). Information for documents received since June 1994 will be in DELCAT; information for documents received from 1976 to 1994 is likely to be in DELCAT. Prior to 1976, information on documents was selectively added to DELCAT. The following indexes and guides assist in finding the historical materials. If you do not find what you are looking for, ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

The Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO. Location: Morris Library - U.S. Documents Reference (GP 3.7: and GP 3.7x: and GP 3.8:): A catalog of government publications cataloged by the Government Printing Office. Published 1895-1995. Arranged by departments and agencies. Indexed by subject and, for some years, by title and personal author. Note: 5 yr. cumulative subject index and indexes to authors are shelved by year within the volumes of the catalog. (There is an overlap between the Monthly Catalog and the Catalogue of United States Public Documents GP 3.6:). The Monthly Catalog provides a SuDocs call number or a Congressional Report or Document number. To locate Congressional Reports and Documents in the Serial Set, use LexisNexis Congressional or Numerical Lists and Schedule of Volumes.

Cumulative Title Index to United States Public Documents, 1789-1976. Edited by Daniel W. Lester. Arlington, VA: United States Historical Documents Institute, 1979. Location: Morris Library - Reference (J83 .L47x): Lists publications by titles and gives SuDocs call numbers.

Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 1900-1971. Edited by William W. Buchanan. Washington, DC: Carrollton Press, 1973-1975. Location: Morris Library - Reference (Z1223 .A1 B824 1973): Lists publications by subject and gives citations to The Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.

Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 1895-1899. Edited by Edna A. Kanely. Washington, DC: Carrollton Press, 1977. Location: Morris Library - U.S. Documents Reference (GP 3.7x:): Lists publications by subject and gives citations to The Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.

LexisNexis Congressional. (Covers 1789-present). Location: Library Databases [restricted to UD]: LexisNexis Congressional provides information about Congress and about publications from Congress, including the Congressional Serial Set (i.e., Congressional Documents and Reports), published and unpublished House and Senate committee hearings, and Congressional committee prints. Covers 1789-present. The Library has several full-text microfiche collections of publications listed in LexisNexis Congressional. Note: the database includes Serial Set volumes numbers for Congressional Documents and Reports up to 1969. For more information, see Congressional Publications: A Research Guide.

CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909: Guide to Documents Listed in Checklist of U.S. Public Documents, 1789-1909, not printed in the U.S. Serial Set. (1909 Checklist). Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service. Location: Morris Library - Reference (JK 411 .C57x 1990)

Enhanced version of the 1909 Checklist. Arrangement is by department, then by agency (or commission or committee):

Pt. 1. Commerce and Labor Department, Treasury Department
Pt. 2. War Department
Pt. 3. Interior Department, Interstate Commerce Commission, Justice Department, Labor Department, Library of Congress
Pt. 4. Agriculture Department, American Republics Bureau, Civil Service Commission, District of Columbia, Fish Commission, Freedman’s Savings and Trust Co., Geographic Board, Government Printing Office, General Supply Committee
Pt. 5. Navy Department
Pt. 6. National Academy of Sciences, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Post Office Department, President of U.S., State Department, Smithsonian Institution.

Using this index consists of three steps: go to the part of the set for the agency. Use the Subject Index volume to locate the publication(s) and the associated code. Go to the REF BIBL (bibliography) volume and locate the code. A SuDocs call number will be listed.

Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1789-1909. (1909 Checklist). Location: Library Annex (JK411 .C572x) Location: Internet (http://govdocs.evergreen.edu/tools/1909checklist/index.html): Arrangement: by agency (or commission or committee). Provides SuDocs call numbers. Note: Monograph reports, issued as part of a series, are not indexed, but are listed separately. Numbered reports, issued as part of a series, are not indexed or listed separately. Congressional reports/documents are not grouped together under Congress; they are listed under names of committees. For indexing to publications in this checklist, use the CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909 instead.

Historic Documents: Federal Government Resources. Location: Internet (http://www.lib.umich.edu/government-documents-center/explore/browse/federal-government+historic-documents/287/search): Lists significant historic documents and links to Internet and database resources.

Numerical Lists and Schedule of Volumes. (NLSV). Index to the Reports and Documents... (Title varies) Washington, DC: U.S. G.P.O. Location: Morris Library - Reference (Z1223 .A114) 1897/99, 1903/5, 1907-33 (55th, 58th, 60th-72nd Cong) Location: Morris Library - Reference (Z1223 .A115) 1933-80 (73rd-96th Cong) Location: Morris Library - Reference (Z1223 .A182) 1981-98 (97th-105th Cong) Location: Internet (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/numerical.html) (via GPO Access) 1957-present (85th Cong-present): Prior to 1970, LexisNexis Congressional provides Serial Set volume numbers for Documents and Reports. The Numerical Lists (title varies) are necessary to find Serial Set volume numbers for House and Senate Documents and Reports from 1970 to present.

Popular Names of U.S. Government Reports. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, 1984. Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Z1233 .A199 B47 1984) Reference desk Location: Internet (http://bl-libg-doghill.ads.iu.edu/gpd-web/popnames/popnames.html): Lists reports that have become known by popular names, rather than by their official name; describes the report or committee and provides bibliographic information. Covers reports of Congressional committees, the President, and commissions, boards and committees of Congress and the Presidency. The website has a PDF version of the original publication and a searchable database, updated to include new information.

Guides to Publications

United States Government Manual. Washington, DC: Office of the Federal Register. Annual. Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref JK421 .A3) latest ed. at Reference desk Location: Internet (http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS2410) (via GPO Access) Location: earlier eds., see holdings in DELCAT: The official handbook about the United States government. Describes the major agencies in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the government, as well as many quasi-official agencies and commissions. Includes organization charts of the departments and of selected agencies. Began publication in 1935.

These publications are useful for identifying agencies and publications groups. They provide SuDocs call numbers stems, but do not have complete SuDocs call numbers:

Guide to U.S. Government Publications. (Andriot). McLean, VA: Documents Index. Annual. Location: Morris Library - Reference (Z1223 .Z7 A574) latest ed. at Reference desk Location: Morris Library (Z1223 .Z7 A574) earlier eds.: A quick guide to major government series, annuals, and periodicals; does not list individual reports or monographs. Arranged in SuDocs call number order. Has indexes by agency and by title of series. Includes information about the publishing agency. Usually called "Andriot" -- the name of the original editor.

Documents Office Classification: Including an Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System and an Alphabetical Index of U.S. Government Author Organizations. Edited by Mary Elizabeth Poole. 3 vols. Arlington, Va.: U.S. Historical Documents Institute, 1977.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Z697 .G7 P6 1977)
Location: Morris Library - U.S. Documents Reference (GP 3.2b:)

For technical reports, see: Technical Reports: A Research Guide

This page is maintained by Rebecca Knight, Reference Department.

Version: 8/2009
Last modified: 08/06/09

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