Subject Guides: Government Documents

What are Government Documents? What is a Government Depository Library? Government Documents: Search Engines Government Documents: Library Databases	Government Documents: In the News Government Documents: Diamond Catalog Get Help!

What are Government Documents? Publications from government agencies are referred to as government documents. Government documents are produced in a wide variety of formats such as websites, discs, microfiche, books, pamphlets, periodicals, reports or maps. Regardless of the format, government information sources are called government documents. Government documents are generally regarded as original sources and can be used without copyright restriction, unless specifically noted.
What is a Government Depository Library? Paley Library participates in the United States Government Printing Office's Federal Depository Library Program as a selective depository. This means that Paley Library selects a percentage of federal government documents which meet the needs of Temple's academic programs. Paley Library is also a Pennsylvania State Depository. In return for receiving these documents at no cost, the library is responsible for maintaining them and making them available to the public.
Government Documents: Search Engines About 75% of recent Government Documents can be accessed through the internet. Search engines are often good way to begin a search for government documents. The following search engines and databases are particularly useful for searching Government Documents and information. Google/government Did you know that Google has a search engine for government documents? Google/government limits search results to government and government related information. Fedstats.gov Fedstats.gov offers statistics collected by more than 100 Federal agencies. Search by topic, subject area, agency or keyword. Produces mapped profiles of any state, county, city, congressional district, or Federal judicial district. FedWorld A Department of Commerce site which provides links to information offered by other branches of the government. USA.Gov USA.Gov is the United States Government's official web portal. USA.Gov also has specialized portals for children, parents, senior citizens, military personnel and veterans, americans abroad, librarians and researchers and other specialized populations. Geodata.gov Geodata.gov is a comprehensive and user friendly portal for geospatial information from federal agencies and a growing number of state, local, tribal and private agencies encompassing but not limited to the subject areas of cultural, cadastral, environmental, demographic, political, public health, geography and water resources. GPO Access GPO Access is the official portal of the U.S. Government Printing Office. GPO Access displays links to documents from the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government from as early as 1995 to the present. Search by keyword, topic or multiple databases. GPO FDSys GPO FDSys is GPO's Federal Digital system, the new official portal of the U.S. Government Printing Office. GPO FDSys provides public access to government submitted by Congress and Federal agencies and preserved as technology changes. GPO FDSys will replace GPO Access in mid-2009. The National Technical Information Service NTIS provides access to permanent depository of unclassified scientific and technical information. Over 2 million publications on scientific, technical, engineering and business related subjects can be accessed through the keyword search engine. NTIS is particularly useful for information on research which received government funding. Science.gov Science.gov offers a unified search of the government's scientific and technical information.Science.gov searches 30 databases and more than 1,700 science Web sites which accesses over 47 million pages of government science information. Searchsystems.net A commercial directory of links to public record databases. Includes some business information, corporate filings, property records, professional licenses, offenders, inmates, criminal and civil court filings. Thomas The Library of Congress's Thomas provides searchable access to current and historical legislation and other related matters in Congress. Also has links to federal and state government web pages. To find older versions of web pages, or Web pages of administrations no longer in office, try using CyberCemetery or the Wayback Machine from the Internet Archive. A list of pages removed for security concerns since the events of 9/11 can be found at the watchdog organization site OMB Watch.
Government Documents: Databases Paley Library's research databases are a good source for government documents and information. These resources can be used to find government journals, magazines, articles, and statistical data. The following databases are particularly useful general sources: CQ Political Reference Suite Congressional documents and legislative histories for historically significant issues and events, Supreme Court case summaries and analysis and a noteworthy database of contact information for government officials, intergovernmental agencies and government related organizations. CQ Weekly Current coverage of the U.S. Congress.Includes bills status, votes and an analysis of issues using public and off the record information. Digital National Security Archive Documents pertaining to U.S. foreign and military policy from 1945. EDGAR Information from 1996 about companies who are required by law to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . Hein Online Searchable Law Journal Library, The Congressional Record (Vols. 1-150 pt. 7/1873-2004 · 43rd Congress, Special Session to 108th Congress, 2nd Session), Supreme Court Opinions and Reviews, U.S. Attorney General Opinions, Treaties and Opinions and legal text books. LexisNexis Academic The Legal Research link offers an extensive collection of government material including federal and state case law, federal regulations, a Patent database and a collection of Canadian and international material. LexisNexis Congressional The most comprehensive electronic index for United States legislative information. Simultaneously searches Congressional Reports, Documents, Prints, Bills, Hearings, the Congressional Record, Public Laws, Statutes at Large, the United States Code Service, the Federal Register, and the National Journal. Includes current information about Congressional Committees, Congressional biographies, recent legislative activities, and public policy issues such as voting records, financial data, and regulatory information. LexisNexis Statistical Statistics produced by the U.S. and state government agencies in addition to international intergovernmental and private organizations. Searches can be limited to geographic area, demographic component, economic or industrial information, and by frequency of data production. Search results can be downloaded as excel spreadsheets. Military and Government Collection Information and journal articles from specialized resources pertaining to the military and government. Public Affairs International (PAIS) PAIS indexes national and international public policy information. PAIS International covers materials from 1972 onward. PAIS Archive extends coverage back to 1915. STAT-USA Current and historical economic data, trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, country analysis, and the National Trade Data Bank.
Government Documents: In the News! The National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism An Overview of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
Government Documents: Paley Library Where can I find U.S. government documents in Paley Library? You can search the Temple University Libraries Diamond Catalog for material using the search box below. You will be able to link to more recent documents directly from Diamond. Older documents can usually be located in the print publications available on the ground floor of Paley Library. The system used for organizing government documents is different from the system used to organize other collections in this library. They are not shelved with the other books. They will be found in the Government Documents Unit on the ground floor of Paley Library. The Superintendent of Documents assigns a unique SuDoc classification number to each government document and since the Government Documents Unit's collection is arranged in SuDoc number order, this number is needed to locate a document. If necessary, the staff at Paley's reference desk will assist you in finding the SuDoc number for a U.S. government document. What are some other ways to find government documents? Government documents are indexed in a number of other sources. Ask a Reference Librarian for information.
Need Help? You can get help on literature searches at Temple University, chat online with a librarian, co-browse Web sites, or submit an e-mail reference question through the Reference Department at Paley Library.

This guide last update May, 2007

Government Documents: An Introduction