Government Information

US and Kansas goverment statistics, maps, and publications.

Library Research Guide

Arts, Culture, & History

The following databases primarily discuss history and art. A more complete list of databases can be found on the A-Z Databases page.

America: History & Life
Find articles related to United States and Canadian history.
Artstor
A huge digital image library encompassing many time periods and world cultures.
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA)
Articles that focus on European and American art from late antiquity to the present.
JSTOR
Paid for by K-State Libraries
A full-text collection of more than 550 core journals ranging from history to business to literature to science and mathematics. Coverage begins with the first issue of a title, but the most recent three to five years of each title are usually not available. The full article text is searchable.
Oxford Art Online
The definitive encyclopedia for the arts and design.

The following agencies and committees promote arts and culture at the federal level.

Indian Arts & Crafts Board
Promotes the economic development of American Indians and Alaska Natives of federally recognized Tribes through the expansion of the Indian arts and crafts market.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Supports artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA is the largest annual national funder of the arts in the United States.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
An independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.
The Architect of the Capitol
The builder and steward of America’s Capitol, serving Congress and the Supreme Court.

Try the websites below when looking for cultural information about the U.S.

General tools

American Memory Project
Provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.
USA.gov
Useful pages on the usa.gov website related to arts, culture, and history.

Libraries & Museums

Library of Congress
The nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
National Archives
The nation's record keeper and archives.
Presidential Libraries
Repositories for the papers, records and historical materials of the Presidents.
The Smithsonian Institution
The world's largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities.
National Gallery of Art
A national art museum and sculpture garden. The Gallery's collection includes some 141,000 paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, decorative arts, and new media tracing the development of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present.

Historic Places, Monuments, & Parks

National Parks, Memorials, and Monuments
The world’s first national park, Yellowstone, was created by an act of Congress in 1872 as a “pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people in order to protect for all time this outstanding natural area.”
National Register of Historic Places
The official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation.
The White House
The official residence and "office space" for the President of the United States.