Government Information

US and Kansas goverment statistics, maps, and publications.

Library Research Guide

U.S. Government Documents

Federal government documents are arranged using the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification Scheme. Below is the basic arrangement for the collection. There are hundreds of classes of documents published by each agency. The list of documents are available online at the Federal Depository Library Program website if you want to see the specific documents under each letter.

A	Agriculture
AE	Archives
C	Commerce
C3	Census Bureau
C13-C63	National Institute of Standards and Technology
CC	Communications Commission
CR	Civil Rights
D	Defense
E	Energy
ED	Education
EP	Environment
FCA	Farm Credit
FM	Mediation and Conciliatory Service
FMC	Maritime
FR	Federal Reserve
GA	General Accountability Office
GP	Government Printing Office
GS	General Services Admin
HE	Health and Human Services
HH	Housing and Urban Development
HS	Homeland Security
I	Interior
J	Justice
JU	Federal Courts
L	Labor
LC	Library of Congress
LR	Labor Relations Board
MS	Merit System Protection
NAS	NASA
NC	National Capital Planning
NCU	National Credit Union
NF	National Foundation Arts and Humanities
NMB	National Mediation Board
NS	National Science Foundation
OP	Overseas Private Investment
P	Postal Service
PE	Peace Corps
PM	Personnel Management
PR	White House
PREX	Executive Office
PRVP	Office of VP
S	State Department
SBA	Small Business Administration
SI	Smithsonian
SSA	Social Security
T	Treasury
TD	Transportation
VA	Veterans Affairs
X	Congressional Publications
Y	Congressional Publications
Y3-Y10	Independent Commissions

K-State Libraries subscribe to more than 200 databases. This list is intended as a starting point for researching various government-related topics. Search additional databases -- they may include government and political information.

AGRICOLA (AGRICultural Online Access)
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Publication Dates Covered: 1970 - present Paid for by the State Library of Kansas
Contains citations from the National Agricultural Library. Around 2,500 journals are indexed as well as USDA publications, state agricultural experiment station and extension services documents, conference proceedings, books, theses, and audio-visual materials. All aspects of agriculture are covered.
CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Researcher Plus Archive
Publication Dates Covered: 1923 - present Paid for by K-State Libraries
Single-themed reports on current issues from Congressional Quarterly Press dating back to 1923. Topics include social trends, health concerns, the economy, education, and technology. Reports provide overview, background, pro/con arguments, chronologies, current situation, and bibliographies of additional sources.
PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) Index
Publication Dates Covered: 1915 - present. Paid for by K-State Libraries
Indexes publications on public affairs, public and social policies, international relations, and world politics from over 120 countries throughout the world. Articles are published in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Types of materials indexed include articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, conference reports, grey literature, and Internet materials. Newspapers and newsletters are not indexed. Includes access to PAIS Archive.
Peace Research Abstracts
Publication Dates Covered: 1964 - present Paid for by K-State Libraries
Records on essential areas such as conflict resolution, international affairs, and peace psychology.
ProQuest Congressional Publications
Paid for by K-State Libraries
Search Congressional hearings, public issues, legislation, and legal research. Includes the full-text of detailed information about Congress, expert testimony on the leading issues of the day, and federal regulations. Includes Serial Set and American State Papers. (Formerly LexisNexis Congressional).

Below are examples of major government websites. If you don't know where to start, please Ask a Librarian.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
Use the catalog to find official government documents. When available, the full-text will appear next to the title of the document. Contact K-State Libraries for access to print versions. Use our Search It tool to search for specific titles (you can limit by location in the results list).
FDsys
Access documents from the three branches of the federal government such as the Congressional Record, US Courts Opinions, laws, legislative and executive branch documents, the US Constitution with analysis and interpretation, and much more.
Google
Use Google efficiently by adding site:.gov to your keyword searches. Example: Endangered Species Act site:.gov will limit your search to government websites about the Endangered Species Act.
MetaLib
A customizable web portal that lets you search across government websites, databases, catalogs, and digital repositories. Searches will retrieve how many collections match your keywords as well as the number of documents available. Can save searches to your e-shelf, email them, or save them to a USB/flash drive.
U.S. Government Manual
The official handbook of the federal government. This special edition of the Federal Register is currently updated to provide comprehensive and authoritative descriptions of the programs and activities of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Government Manual also includes information about quasi-official agencies, international organizations with U.S. membership, and Federal boards, commissions, and committees.
USA.gov
Official portal to US government services.
US Federal Government Documents Registry
An ongoing project by HathiTrust for enhancing access to government documents from 1789 to the present. Each document is described at the item level.