Librarian
Sean Leahy
Contact:
4th Libe - Room 465
507-222-5179
smleahy@carleton.edu
507-222-5179
smleahy@carleton.edu
Librarian
Katie Lewis
Contact:
klewis@carleton.edu
507-222-5552
Gould is an FDLP Library
Using our Government Document Collection
Gould Library participates in a federal government program to receive a select number of government publications in print. Many more current and historical documents are available online through open access. These are available for ANYONE in the community to access and use.
Where can I find the government documents?
- Most recent government documents are published electronically. Many of these are linked from Catalyst and many, you can find at a government website or searching Google.
- The print documents we have are primarily in a special section on 1st Libe.
How do I search for them in Catalyst?
- Enter your search and then select "government documents" from the facets on the left.
Why would I use government documents?
- Government documents are excellent for many kinds of research. From demographics from the Census, to agricultural statistics, to speeches on the floor of Congress, and more, government documents serve as excellent primary and secondary sources for your research.
Major Resources
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ProQuest Congressional(Searches through citations and the full text)
The record of Congressional activities, current and past. Includes legislation, hearings, research reports, and more. -
U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994(Searches through citations and the full text)
One of the core U.S. government publications, with Congressional records from 1817-1994. Also *the* primary source for executive branch reports, treaties, statements, maps and more from the 1800s. -
Congress.govWebsite for Congress. Includes roll call votes, legislation, Congressional Record, and more going back to the early to mid-1990s.
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GovInfo (formerly FDsys)The Government Publishing Office's publication platform for digital copies of documents across all three branches of government.
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HathiTrust : U.S. Federal Documents CollectionsHathiTrust offers many digital collections of federal government documents, including from the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. A very good place to discover the full text of government documents.
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Indian Claims Insight(Searches through citations and the full text)
Includes historical claims presented to Congress or brought before the Court of Claims. Also includes records of the Indian Claims Commission including briefs, docket books, decisions, expert testimony, oral transcripts, and more.
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National Indian Law Library CatalogFrom the national non-profit Native American Rights fund, publications and other resources relevant to federal Indian and tribal law. From the search box, narrow by "type" options to search tribal codes, constitutions, court cases and more.
Historic Documents
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U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994(Searches through citations and the full text)
One of the core U.S. government publications, with Congressional records from 1817-1994. Also *the* primary source for executive branch reports, treaties, statements, maps and more from the 1800s. -
American State Papers, 1789-1838(Searches through citations and the full text)
Search through legislative and executive documents, many originating from the important period between 1789 and the beginning of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set in 1817. -
House and Senate Journals, Series I, 1789-1817(Searches through citations and the full text) Journals of the House of Representatives and Senate from 1789 to 1817, covering the first fourteen Congresses of the United States.
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Senate Executive Journals, 1789-1980(Searches through citations and the full text) Journals of the executive proceedings of the United States Senate 1789 to 1980, covering the first Congress through the 96th Congress. Covers the confirmation of presidential nominees, the ratification of treaties, the careers of military officers, and more.
