| Identifying government documents issued prior to 1976 may involve
using a number of different print indexes. This guide is intended
to be a starting point, not an exhaustive list.
Maag Library did not become a Federal Depository until the early
1970's, so you may have to request older documents from other
libraries. A librarian will be glad to assist you.
For more detailed information about finding older government
information, see Chapter 52, "Historical
Searches" in Using Government Information
Sources, by Jean Sears and Marilyn Moody, 3nd Edition, Oryx Press,
2000, pp. 476-491. A copy of this book is available in the
Reference Room.
| Comprehensive
General Indexes |
| Dates Covered |
Title of Index |
Location
Third FLoor |
| 1774 - 1881 |
Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the
United States. 1885. (Commonly referred to as
"Poore's" for the author, Ben
Perley Poore) 2 vols. |
Historical Research Shelf |
| 1789 - 1909 |
Checklist of United States Public Documents.
1911. (Known as the "1909
Checklist") |
Historical Research Shelf |
| 1881 - 1893 |
Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the United
States Government. 1905. (Popular name "Ames" for the author, John Griffith
Ames. |
Historical Research Shelf |
| 1893 - 1940 |
Catalogue of the Public Documents of the (53rd-76th)
Congress and of All Departments of the Government of the United
States. 1940. 25 vols. (Commonly known as the "Document Catalogue") |
Historical Research Shelf |
| 1900 - 1971 |
Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of U.S.
Government Publications, 1900-1971. 15 vols. |
Historical Research Shelf |
| 1941 - to date |
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government
Publications. (YSU's holdings begin with 1941)
The Catalog is the standard index for
identifying government documents. There is a 10-year
cumulative index for 1941-50; and five-year cumulative indexes for
1961-65; 1966-70; 1971-76. From 1976 on, the GPO
Monthly Catalog from OhioLINK can be used. (Library access
only) The free public
access version includes information from 1994 to
date. |
On-site storage |
| Dates Covered |
Title of Index |
Location Third Floor |
| 1789 - 1817 |
Public Documents of the First Fourteen
Congresses: Papers relating to Early Congressional
Documents. 1900. (Commonly known as "Greeley's" for the author, Adolphus
Washington Greeley) |
Historical Research |
| 1817 -1893 |
Tables of and Annotated Index to the
Congressional Series of United States Public Documents.
1902. |
Microforms Center
(Third Floor) Ultra Fiche LAC
10555 |
| 1830 - 1969 |
CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Prints Index
Through 1969. 1980. Congressional Information
Service. |
Historical Research Section |
| dates vary |
Thomas
Legislative Information (Library of Congress) Indexing and abstracting of Congressional publications,
some from as early as the 93rd Congress, but most of the
information begins with the 101st Congress. |
| dates vary |
GPO
Access (Government Printing Office) |
| GPO Access
is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that
provides free online access to many of the important
documents produced by the Federal Government. The
information provided through GPO Access is the official,
published version. This free service is funded by the
Federal Depository Library Program. Includes:
Congressional Record, Federal Register, bills introduced,
legislative reports, public laws, and much
more. |
| Web Sites for Historical
Documents |
U.S.
Congressional Documents and Debates 1774 - 1873 (Library of
Congress)
|
Major publications featured on the web
site: |
| Annals of Congress |
Journals of the Continental Congress |
| Register of Debates |
Elliot's Debates |
| Congressional Globe |
Ferrand's Records |
| Bills and Resolutions |
Senate Journal |
| Statutes at Large |
Senate Executive Journal |
| U.S. Serial Set for select years |
House Journal |
|
Maclay's Journal |
American Memory, Historical
Collections for the National Digital Library (Library of Congress)
Getting
Started With Federal Government Documents
(A detailed site from the University of North Carolina providing
historical development of the Monthly Catalog, 1909 Checklist,
and more.
Core
Documents of U.S. Democracy
The Serial Set is one of the most important sources in historical
government research. Started in 1817, it consists of more than
14,000 volumes of Congressional publications as well as reports
submitted to Congress by other governmental commissions and
agencies.
Selected early volumes are now available on the Library of
Congress American Memory Project. The selected volumes
currently available: 23rd Congress (1834-35); 56th Congress
(1899); and 58th Congress (1904-05).
The Serial Set for the first fourteen Congresses was published as
The American State Papers (1832-1861). This set is
available in the Microform Center as Microfilm 419.
To locate reports and documents in the Serial Set, refer to the
section on Comprehensive
General Indexes.
Maag Library became a Federal Depository Library in the early
1970's. We do not have a complete Serial Set. We do have
selected Serial Set reports from 1973 to the
present. Most of these documents can be found by searching our
online catalog. Documents from earlier Congresses may be borrowed
from other OhioLINK libraries. A librarian will
be glad to assist you in your
research. |