U of M LibrariesOUTSIDE THE U OF M
GET STARTED
Try this quick search in MNCAT for documents published after 1975:
Choose ADVANCED SEARCH where you can search by format, limiting to state, federal or international document.
Note that MNCAT does not list everything in the collection, but if you are searching online, on or off campus, it's a good place to start your search for government publications.
For expert advice visit the Government Publications Library on the Web and in Wilson Library (basement). The librarians at the desk can help you what you need. Check their desk service hours. The collection is also available during building hours even when the desk is not open. Magrath Library on campus in Saint Paul also has government publications.
MATERIALS Published Before 1975
You can find printed government publications indexes in a special reference collection kept at the Government Publications Library in the Wilson Library basement.
Useful tools for finding government documents:
· The master tool for searching U.S. government documents is the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, covering the period from 1895 to the present. It is supplemented by the Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, which covers the same period.
EARLIER YEARS
For earlier years, you can find these lists (search for them in MNCAT by title)
Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the U.S. Government, 1881-1893.
Cumulative Title Index to United States Public Documents, 1789-1976.
Descriptive Catalog of the Government Publications of the U.S., September 5, 1774-March 4 1881.
SPECIALIZED INDEXES
· The Government Publications Library also contains several more specialized indexes that may help you.
The two most important are:
Bureau of the Census Catalog of Publications, 1790-1972 - (MNCAT system ID 002604996) is an index outlining the types of statistical information found in the U.S. Census.
CIS U.S. Serial Set Index, 1789 (MNCAT system ID 001976273) - tells what is in the "serial set," a collection of government documents cataloged differently from the others, containing information for and by Congress and Executive agencies.
CountrIES OUTSIDE the U.S.
Aspects to consider:
· Language - If you are searching for documents from countries other than the U.S., the first thing you should take into consideration is language. Government documents are written in the official language(s) of their country or organization, and these may or may not include English.
- Look for books of sources--including collections of documents--edited and translated for an English audience.
- Because governments are constantly communicating with each other, you can find out what another nation was doing by looking at the response of English-speaking countries reflected in their government documents:
The FBIS Daily Reports--U.S. government documents produced by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service--are transcripts of foreign radio and television broadcasts, newspapers and government statements translated into English. These cover historical events, from the mid-1970s to the present. You can search by subject in the Index to the FBIS Daily Reports.
Diplomatic correspondence can be used as well, and it can provide you with a source for events that happened long before the FBIS began.
Of interest
Digital National Security Archive
The Digital National Security Archive contains the most comprehensive collection of primary documents available. The database includes more than 63,000 of the most important declassified documents regarding critical U.S. policy decisions. There are 29 complete collections, each offering specialized insights. Integrated, they allow you to explore policy across several different areas at once.
NEWS AND ARTICLE Databases
Link to these databases on the INDEXES AND DATABASES page
· LEXIS-NEXIS can be searched from computers in the University Libraries. This online system consists of three separate database files, LexisNexis Academic, LexisNexis Congressional, and LexisNexis Statistical, give you full-text access to current news or archived news from past years; they also provide access to federal, state and international legal materials, and general reference sources for statistics, public surveys, and the World Almanac.
World News Connection (MNCAT system ID 003143929) is a good online index for foreign documents. It summarizes foreign newspaper articles, conference proceedings, radio and television broadcasts, and periodicals.
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