Government Information: Quick Reference
Where to look
While there are always exceptions, below is a quick guide.
Legal Documents (ex. supreme or circuit court materials). The FLDP does not circulate court materials. For legal questions, use LexisUni or other legal databases.
Congressional Materials (ex. bills, hearing, committee reports). These materials are circulated in print and microform through the FDLP. Materials the last ~40 years, it is easiest to use Congress.gov and govinfo.gov to find there documents online. For older hearings and bills, use ProQuest Congressional. Reports referenced within committee hearings will be in the Serial Set, which can be access via HathiTrust, Serial Set database, and ProQuest Congressional (coverage varies by year). PSU also has a comprehensive collection of print volumes.
Agency Materials (reports, publications, fliers, promotional materials, budget reports). Materials published for public consumption (Ex maps, reports, commissioned studies) will be circulated through the FDLP. Some reports will also be online. Internal documents (ex. employee lists, internal committee reports) are not circulated through the FDLP; this content can only be accessed by request to the agency, or to NARA (where archival agency records are held). Agency reports can be found in the catalog.
Data and Statistics This varies by agency. in most cases it is best to identify the agency that may collect the relevant data and search their website. You can search data.gov to determine which agencies collect relevant data. For demographic information, Census is the best place to start. Compiled sources like Social Explorer and ProQuest Statistical Abstracts are excellent stating points.
Maps Most agency maps are accessible online through agencies or the Library of Congress maps portal. USGS has a complete collection of their maps, including historical maps, online. Some older maps from the Dept of Defense and Bureau of Land Management may only be in print.
National Archives and Historical Materials. Unfortunately many historical materials held in NARA are unique records that were not circulated. Some of this content has been scanned and distributed on microform by 3rd parties, but this was not circulated in the FDLP. A large portion of NARA materials can only be accessed at the National Archives.
Congressional Material (Bills, Legislation, Hearings)
- ProQuest CongressionalContains citations and full text to U.S. legislative information from 1970 to the present, with additional coverage of Congressional hearings from 1824 to 1979.
- congress.govContains legislation from 1973-present
- Congressional Hearings, 1957-presentA hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, joint, or special committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or evaluate/oversee the activities of a government department or the implementation of a Federal law. In addition, hearings may also be purely exploratory in nature, providing testimony and data about topics of current interest. Most congressional hearings are published two months to two years after they are held.
- Serial Set, 1818-1964The Serial Set contains documents used in Congressional Hearings. If a congressional hearing cited a document that was circulated in a meeting, it should be in the Serial Set.
- GovInfoContains bills, calendars, committee prints, hearings, reports, the federal register, economic indicators, bill histories. CFR, Statutes at Large, US Code, and more/
- Congressional Serial SetArchives reports, documents, and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from 1817-1994.
- United States Statutes at LargeThe 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. 1951-present
- United States CodeThe United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States
- Nexis Uni
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Includes full text sources for regional, national, and international newspapers as well as business, legal, and medical publications, and also, government documents.
Agency Information
- usa.govIf unsure which agency you're looking for, conduct a search in usa.gov to see which agency comes up the most. Once identified, search that agency's website directly.
- Agencies (Guide Page)Details on specific agencies can be found here.
"Is it a Gov Doc?"
Government Document: Any material produced by government entity as part of their normal operations (ex. hearings, committee reports). Many, but not all, government documents are circulated through the FDLP and are online. Includes all formats (print, digital, online, microform).
Government Records: Internal materials produced by agencies (ex. employee lists, internal reports, internal memos). These materials can be requested as public records documents, but are not circulated in the FDLP. They can be accessed through the agency or NARA. Includes all formats (print, digital, online, microform).
Government Publications: Materials produced by government entities with the intention of public circulation (ex. press materials, public reports, maps, posters, books). These materials are typically published by the Government Publishing Office and circulated through the FDLP. Includes all formats (print, digital, online, microform).
Government Information: Catch-all term for any material in any format created by a government entity (ex. agency social media, online content, printed material not published by GPO). This term includes Gov docs, Gov records, and Gov Publications.
Legal Materials (Court Cases)
- LII / Legal Information Institute - Cornell UniversityProvided access to US Code, US Supreme Court opinions, Uniform Commercial Code, Federal Regulations.
- Local law libraries with access to WestLawFor detailed legal research (ex legislative histories), patrons may need legal databases that PSU does not have (due to lack of a law school). These libraries provide public access.
- Nexis Uni
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Includes full text sources for regional, national, and international newspapers as well as business, legal, and medical publications, and also, government documents.
Data and Statistics
- Proquest Statistical Abstract of the United States
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Maintains the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States.
- data.govSearches for data across all agencies.
- Statistical programs of the United States governmentAnnual publication that specifies types of data collected by each agency.
Maps
- LoC online mapsIncludes historic & Sanborn fire maps
- USGS MapsIncludes current and historical Topo maps
State Documents
- Access to Oregon State Government PublicationsState Library Guide to OrDocs
- OrDocs in the PDX CatalogPrint materials in collection: OR House and Senate journals; OR Session Laws; OR Statute; Bills as submitted; agency materials submitted through OR Depository Program. These materials, which are cataloged, are on FL3, FL4, and in the Annex. See guide for details.