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Intro to Government Information

This guide will orient patron and librarians to the types of government information available, where to find government information, and how to use government information to answer reference questions.

Government Printing Office

The Government Publishing Office (GPO) publishes trusted information for the Federal Government to the American people, including judicial, legislative, and executive government documents.

https://www.gpo.gov/

Types of Federal and State Government Documents

Judicial Documents include:

United States Reports

 

Legislative Documents include:

Laws

Committee Reports and Hearings

Congressional Record

  • Official record of the proceedings and debates of Congress
  • Digital scans available dating to 1873

Executive Documents include:

Executive Office of the President

Executive Agencies

  • Publications from cabinet departments and a huge variety of independent agencies
  • Examples of Cabinet-level Agencies:
    • Heath and Human Services
      • Guides to healthy eating and lifestyle
    • Transportation
      • Traffic safety statistics
      • Infrastructure regulations
    • Commerce
      • Export guides
      • US Census Bureau
      • NOAA
  • Examples of Independent Agencies:
    • United States Postal Service
    • Environmental Protection Agency
    • NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

White House agencies

  • Select agencies are included in the Presidential designation

State Government Documents include state-level Judicial, Legislative, and Executive materials.

Judicial:

  • High Court Administrative Documents
  • County Court Reports

Legislative:

  • House and Senate Reports
  • Legislative Study Committee Reports

Executive:

  • Office of the Governor Documents
  • State Agency Publications

Specific Interests

Government documents provide information on a wide range of fields, often in unexpected ways! Learn something new or find out more about something you already love!

Interior (Bureau of Land Management):

 

Agriculture:

 

Defense ("The President's Own" United States Marine Band):

 

Library of Congress: