Government Documents – Reference Sources

United States

All items are shelved on Index Table 1 (third floor reference area).

Ames, John G. Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893. Ann Arbor: J.W. Edwards, 1953. Call Number: Govt I 15.2: In 22-3 1953. Notes: Subject arrangement with a personal name index. It includes Serial, Congress, and Session numbers for entries.

Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1798-1909. New York: Kraus Reprint Corporation, 1962. Call Number: Govt GP 3.14. Notes: Includes 15th Congress. Notes: First section is arranged by Congress and by Serial number; second section is arranged by governmental agency.

CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1798-1909: Guide to Documents Listed in Checklist of U.S. Public Documents, 1789-1909, Not Printed in the U. S. Serial Set . Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, 1990-. Call Number: Ref Z 1223 .Z7 C64 1990.

Congressional Information Service. CIS U.S. Serial Set Index. Washington, DC: Congressional Information Service, 1975. Call Number: Ref Z 1223 .Z9 C65 1975. Notes: This index makes finding potentially useful government publications much easier. It is arranged by Congress, with a subject index and a keyword index, and a list of individuals and organizations that were recipients of private relief. Also included are a complete numerical listing and schedule of serial volumes. The types of items covered by the index include House and Senate journals, executive and miscellaneous publications of Congress, reports on private and public legislation, annual reports of the executive and independent agencies, and proceedings of certain societies and associations.

Greely, A. W. Public Documents of the First Fourteen Congresses, 1789-1817: Papers Relating to Early Congressional Documents. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1900. Call Number: Ref Z 1223 .A3 1900. Notes: Arranged by Congress; within each Congress, arranged chronologically.

Index to Reports and Documents of the ... Congress, With Numerical Lists and Schedule of Volumes. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1911. Call Number: Govt GP 3.7: 16-30. Notes: Arranged by Congress and alphabetically by title.

Morehead, Joe and Mary Fetzer. Introduction to United States Government Information Sources. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1992. Call Number: Ref Z 1223 .Z7 M665 1992.

Poore, Benjamin P. A Descriptive Catalog of the Government Publications of the United States, September 5, 1774-March 4, 1881. Ann Arbor: J.W. Edwards, 1953. Call Number: Govt Y 4.P931: G74 1953. Notes: The entries are arranged by date issued and within date they are arranged alphabetically by title. Each entry generally has short annotations, with Congress, Session, and Document number given.

Tables Of and Annotated Index to the Congressional Series of United States Public Documents. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1902. Call Number: Govt GP 3.2: P96. Notes: This work is selective in its coverage. It is arranged by Congress and within Congress by Serial number. Notes on omission or duplication in the Serial Set are included. The second section has a subject and name index.

United States Government Publications Monthly Catalog. Ann Arbor: The Pierian Press, 1971. Call Number: Govt GP 3.81 v. 1-4 and Cumulative Index. Notes: This is the most comprehensive current bibliography of publications issued by the government.

Great Britain

Parliamentary Papers (i.e. what was done)

Cockton, Peter. Subject Catalog of the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, 1801-1900. Cambridge, England: Chadwyck-Healey, 1988. Call Number: Ref Z 2019 .C63 1988. Notes: The Newberry has the entire set of published sessional papers for this period in Readex Microprint edition. They are not cataloged, but may be requested in the General Reading Room. Cockton provides some helpful instructions for requesting items from this series.

Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Alphabetical Index to the Bills, Reports, Estimates, Accounts and Papers Printed by Order of the House of Commons and to the Papers Presented by Command, 1852-1899. London: Printed for HMSO, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1909. Call Number: Ref J 301 .M3 1852-1899.

———. General Index to the Accounts and Papers, Reports of Commissioners, Estimates, &c, &c. London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1938. Call Number: Ref J 301 .M3 1801-1852.

———. Hansard's Catalog and Breviate of Parliamentary Papers, 1696-1834. Oxford: Blackwell, 1953. Call Number: Ref J 301 .K62 1953.

Parliamentary Debates (i.e. what was said)

Cobbett, William. The Parliamentary History of England, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1803. London: T.C. Hansard, 1806. Call Number: K 145 .379. Notes: A retrospective compilation, rather than a current record.

Great Britain. Parliament. The Parliamentary Debates . . . Forming a Continuation of the Work Entitled "The Parliamentary History of England From the Earliest Period to the Year 1803". London: Published under the superintendence of T. C. Hansard, 1812. Call Number: K 145 .38. Notes: There are 5 series of parliamentary debates, with the current one (fifth) beginning in 1909. There is a general index to the 66 volumes of the 1st-2nd series. For series 3-5 the sessional indices (sometimes in separate volumes, sometimes included in the last volume of the debates of the session) must be used. This series is frequently referred to as "Hansard's Parliamentary Debates." Page the year that you need.