Reference works found in the Govt. Documents Collection
Reference works found in the Reference Collection

The Government Documents Collection contains a number of information sources. Here are some of our favorites:

CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTORY 
LOCATION: SHELVES & INTERNET
CALL #: Y 4.P 93/1
"Short biographies of each member of the Senate and House and additional data, such as committee memberships, terms of service, etc. Also lists officials of the courts, military establishments, and other Federal departments and agencies, including D.C. government officials, governors of states and territories, foreign diplomats, and members of the press, radio, and television galleries." Search the library catalog for this title. 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
LOCATION: MICROFILM, MICROFICHE & INTERNET
CALL #: X 1.1
"Official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published daily when Congress is in session. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities. The Congressional Record Index (CRI) is published biweekly. In print, the Congressional Record Index contains both the index and the History of Bills and Resolutions." Search the library catalog for this title. 

FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
LOCATION: SHELVES & INTERNET 
CALL #: S 1.1
"The official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity...documents from Presidential libraries, Departments of State and Defense, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs agencies as well as the private papers of individuals involved in formulating U.S. foreign policy." Search the library catalog for this title. 

PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE U.S.
LOCATION: SHELVES & INTERNET
CALL #: AE 2.114
"All public messages, speeches and statements made by the president including reports to Congress, press conferences, the President's public schedule, etc. The material is presented in chronological order...volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman through George W. Bush are included." Search the library catalog for this title.

STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF THE U.S.
LOCATION: SHELVES & INTERNET
CALL #: C 3.134
Based on the census, the Statistical Abstract presents an annual compilation of information on the U.S. population: growth, race, health, education, crime, employment, science, agriculture and a whole lot more. Search the library catalog for this title.

HISTORICAL TABLES, BUDGET OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
LOCATION: SHELVES & INTERNET
CALL #: PREX 2.8/8
"Data on budget receipts, outlays, surpluses or deficits, Federal debt, and Federal employment over an extended time period, generally from 1940 or earlier, projecting a few years ahead (currently to 2010)" Search the library catalog for this title.

CIA WORLD FACT BOOK
LOCATION: SHELVES & INTERNET 
CALL #: PREX 3.15
Reference maps and information for all countries and territories: geography, history, economy, background, ethnic groups, religion, etc. Use shelved volumes for historical research. Search the library catalog for this tltle.

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In our Reference Collection the US history reference works, just like circulating books, are usually filed in the Library of Congress classification letter "E" You will find all of the following works on the first floor of the library, across from the government documents: 

AMERICAN DIARIES: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLISHED AMERICAN DIARIES AND JOURNALS
LOCATION: SHELVES
CALL #: Z5305.U5 A74 1983 (2 volumes)
note: a “Z” classification indicates a bibliography

COLONIAL AMERICA TO 1763 
LOCATION: SHELVES
CALL #: E188 .P86 1999

DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN HISTORY
LOCATION: SHELVES
CALL # E174 .D52 1976 (8 volumes) 

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
LOCATION: SHELVES
CALL # E468 .H47 2000 (5 volumes)

U. S. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS ON WOMEN, 1800-1990: A COMPREHENVIE BIBLIOGRAPHY
LOCATION: SHELVES
CALL #: HQ1410 .H85 1993 (2 volumes)

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You can find more answers on our page of Frequently Answered Questions, or ask a librarian for assistance.

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last updated on:June 5, 2005

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TIP: Government documents are organized by agency of origin; for more information on the system of government call numbers, click here.

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TIP: Try browsing the shelves of the "E" section in the Reference section, in order to become more familiar with the range of our resources. You may find some treasures you never knew we had!