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Government Publications: Databases

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Databases

Catalog of Government Publications  — from the US Government Publishing Office, provides an index to print and electronic publications created by Federal agencies. The database covers from 1976 to the present. This database also covers a growing number of older, print titles that are now available as full-text electronic documents. Please use the browse search if you have a specific title you wish to find.

Govinfo — The primary source for US government electronic information. Govinfo provides free public access to official publications of all three branches of the federal government: executive, legislative and judicial branches.  These documents are arranged into collections. The advanced search is very helpful because you can narrow your search to a specific collection, such as the Congressional Record, or Compilation of Presidential Documents and specify a date or range of dates. Govinfo also includes a browse feature where you can browse by alphabetic order, category, date, congressional committee or author.

GPO Monthly Catalog [NIU subscription] — description from the site: “Covers all types of U.S. government documents (more than 498,000 records), including Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records; judiciary materials; and documents issued by executive departments (Defense, State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.). Includes a bibliographic citation in each record.”

Historical Statistics of the United States, Millennial Edition [NIU subscriptions] — includes statistics from the pre-Revolutionary War period to the present, on a broad-range of historical topics. Each topical section includes explanations placing statistics in historical context. Tables can be downloaded in different formats.

MetaLib | GPO This site searches across multiple government databases including GPO's own catalog, PubMed, Index to Military Periodicals, National Agricultural Library, databases at the departments of Energy, Education, EPA, US Geological Survey among others. Target your search to a specific resource or search across many. Provides full-text articles where available.

Military & Government Collection [NIU subscriptions] — indexes nearly 400 periodicals and academic journals covering government and military-related topics. From the site: “The database also includes full text for 245 pamphlets and offers indexing and abstracts for more than 500 titles. Some publications covered in this database include Air Force Comptroller, Army Reserve Magazine, Defence Studies, Global Security Review, JFQ: Joint Force Quarterly, Military Technology, National Review, Combat Edge, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Foreign Affairs, Naval Forces, and many more. Many full text titles are available in native (searchable) PDF, or scanned-in-color.”

ProQuest Congressional Historical Indexes [NIU subscription] — Formerly Lexis-Nexis Congressional, this database indexes publications of Congress from 1789 to 1969. Included are: the U.S. Serial Set Index, U.S. Congressional Hearings Index (1834-1969), Unpublished House Committee Hearings Index (1833-1972) Unpublished Senate Committee Hearings Index (1824-1984) U.S. Congressional Committee Prints Index (1830-1969) and the U.S. Senate Executive Documents & Reports Index (1817-1969).

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States [NIU subscription] — the new database is a replacement of the venerable federal publication Statistical Abstract of the United States (1878-2012). The latter is updated monthly, as opposed to annually, and offers a comprehensive statistical summary of the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. The database comprehends more than 1,400 statistical tables derived from approximately 400 separate sources.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994 (with) American State Papers 1789-1838 [NIU subscription] - - The Serial Set “offers an unparalleled view of the activities of the United States federal government from the founding of the Republic through most of the twentieth century”[NIU description]. This series provides an in-depth record of US history from the government's perspective, covering a broad range of topics. This electronic version of the Serial Set also includes a browseable map collection. The American State Papers cover the period from the Revolutionary War to the 1830's.