| N.B. If you know the type of historical congressional document for which you are looking (bills, hearings, reports, prints, laws, etc.) see U.S. Congressional Publications in WSU Libraries, a guide which details access and holdings in the WSU Libraries. |
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See "Ask a Question" options or e-mail these librarians: Marilyn Von Seggern, U.S. Government Information Librarian m_vonseggern@wsu.edu Lorena O'English, Political Science/Criminal Justice/Law Subject Librarian oenglish@wsu.edu Lou Vyhnanek, History Subject Librarian louv@wsu.edu |
Documents from 1976 forward can be
searched in WSU Libraries' Griffin catalog.
For pre-1976 documents 1) use an index or finding aid such as those on
the following list; 2) consult the documents shelf list and/or serial
record to find out if we have the document in our collection; 3) ask a
reference librarian if you need help with this process or cannot find
documents on the shelf.
1774-1789 Thomas:
Historical Documents
Searches early congressional documents, including the Declaration of
Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the
Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and Other Amendments.
1774-1789 Documents
from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention 1774-1789
A segment of the Library of Congress' American Memory Collection; items
include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions,
proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions
of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence,
all searchable.
1774-1873 A Century of
Lawmaking for a New Nation; U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates
1774-1873
The records and acts of Congress from the Journals of the Continental
Congress through The Congressional Globe, which ceased publication with
the 42nd Congress in 1873. All text is searchable.
1774-1881 Poore, Benjamin Perley Descriptive Catalogue of
the Government Publications of the United States, Sept. 5, 1774-March
4, 1881. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1885.
Continued by Ames' Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the
United States Government, 1881-1893 and by the Catalogue of
Public Documents, 53d- Congress, 1893- .
Holland Ref Doc Y 4.P93/1:G74/1
1789-1838 American
State Papers (WSU only) Congressional materials from the
first 14 Congresses (1789-1817) and some years beyond, full-text
searchable.
1789-1909 Checklist of United States Public Documents,
1789-1909. 3rd ed., New York: Kraus Reprint Corp., 1962 (Reprint of
3rd ed., GPO 1911). 1st-60th Congress.
Complete checklist (in SuDoc number order) of judicial, executive, and
legislative public documents issued by the U.S. Government, .
Holland Ref Z1223.A11 1962
1789-1969 CIS U.S. Serial Set Index, 1789-1969.
Washington: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1975-79. Includes Index
and Carto-bibliography of Maps.
Indexes the American State Papers (1789-1816) and more than 14,000
volumes of the Serial Set (Senate and House Documents and Reports from
the 15th Congress on). Published in 12 time periods, each part has an
index of subjects and keywords, index of names of individuals and
organizations of private relief and related actions, numerical list of
reports and documents, and a schedule of serial volumes.
Holland Ref Z1223.Z7 U55
1789-2003 Sessions
of Congress with Corresponding Debate Record Volume Numbers.
Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C., Inc.
A list of congressional sessions, their dates, and corresponding debate
record in Annals of Congress, Register of Debates, Congressional
Globe, or Congressional Record.
1817- U.S. Congressional Serial Set (WSU only) Beginning with the 15th Congress, full-text search access to the U.S. Serial Set is being added by congress throughout 2003-04. The database is searchable by keyword, subjects such as education, health, and social issues, publication category such as annual reports and public bills, House and Senate Committee, and Congress.
1817-1969 U.S. Congressional Serial Set Finding List Connects Serial Set volume numbers to specific SuDocs numbers from the 15th to the 91st Congresses. Agency annual reports and other serials are listed with their SuDoc and corresponding Serial Set numbers. Includes additional links to Serial Set resources.
1830-1969 CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Prints Index
Through 1969. Washington: Congressional Information Service, Inc.,
1980. 21st-91st Congress.
From the User Guide: "Congressional committee prints are publications
that individual congressional committees prepare or commission
primarily to aid them in doing their work....For historical research,
prints are a rich resource, both as chronicles of historical events and
as records of contemporary perceptions of those events." They include
monographic studies, investigative reports, analyses of bills,
reference materials, hearings excerpts, and reports on committee
activities.
Holland Ref J74.C66x 1980
1833-1969 CIS U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index.
Washington: Congressional Information Service, Inc., 1981-85. 23rd-91st
Congress (1833-1969).
From the Introduction: "Congressional committee hearings proceedings
were first held early in the nineteenth century and became a major
component in the deliberative work of Congress during the years
following the Civil War. Hearings publications...form an unparalleled
documentary record of events and public policy issues faced by America
since its early years..."
Holland Ref KF49.C62 U5
1873-current Table of Congressional Publication Volumes and Presidential Issuances A numeric guide to Serial Set volumes by Congress published by the Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C.
1875-1990 Congressional Record Index. Washington :
Govt. Print. Off., 1874. 43d Cong.-101st Cong. (1875-1990)
An index to what is said on the floor of Congress (the proceedings of
Congress).
Holland Ref Doc X
1881-93 Ames, John G. Comprehensive Index to the
Publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893.
Washington: Government Printing Office, 1905, 2 vols.
Holland Ref Doc Y4745, Y4746
1893-1940 Catalogue of the Public Documents of the
(53rd-76th) Congress and of All Departments of the Government of the
United States for the Period from March 4, 1893 to Dec. 31, 1940..
Washington: Government Printing Office. 25 v.
Holland Ref Doc GP 3.6
1900- Monthly Catalog of United States Government
Publications. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1895- .
An index to all types of U.S. government documents, including
Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records; judiciary
materials; and documents issued by executive departments (Defense,
State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.).
Holland Ref Doc GP 3.8 (1900-1998)
Owen A&I Z1223.A18 (1951-1992)
Online access 1976- , GPO Monthly
Catalog (WSU only)
Online access 1994- , Catalog
of U.S. Government Publications
1900-1971 Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog
of U.S. Government Publications, 1900-1971. Arlington, VA:
Carrollton Press, Inc., 1973-95.
Holland Ref Z1223.Z7 B9
1941-1970 United States Government Publications Monthly
Catalog: Quinquennial Cumulative Personal Author Index. Ann Arbor,
MI: Pierian Press, 1971-79.
Holland Doc Ref GP 3.8/a (1941-50, 1961-65, 1966-70)
1951-2002 Congressional Index. Chicago: Commerce
Clearing House, 1937- . (1951-2002, 82nd-107th Congress).
"...designed to aid research on the status and history of legislation
and other matters in Congress." Vol. 1: activities common to both
houses, activities of the Senate including presidential action. Vol. 2:
activities of the House of Representatives, actions taken by the Senate
on House measures. Tracks public bills and resolutions through Congress.
Holland Ref J69.C6
1970- CIS Index to Publications of the United States
Congress. Washington, Congressional Information Service, 1970- .
91st- Congress.
A three-part set: abstracts of Congressional publications, legislative
histories, and an index of Congressional publications and public laws.
Searchable at WSU through Congressional Lexis/Nexis.
Link to additional
historical indexes
1774-1789 Thomas: Historical
Documents
The Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the
Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and Other Amendments.
1774-1789 Documents
from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention 1774-1789
Part of the Library of Congress' American Memory Collection; items
include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions,
proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions
of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
1774-1873 A Century of
Lawmaking for a New Nation; U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates
1774-1873
The records and acts of Congress from the Journals of the Continental
Congress through The Congressional Globe, which ceased publication with
the 42nd Congress in 1873. Also included are Serial Set selected
volumes printed during the 23rd (1834-35), 56th (1899), and 58th
Congresses (1904-05).
1774-1789 Journals of the Continental Congress.
Washington: Government Printing Office 1904-37.
Holland and Terrell Libraries Locked Storage A1508, a reprint copy
under Holland Doc LC 4.5:1968
Online copy
in the American Memory Collection
1789- Statutes at Large. Published in Boston
by Little & Brown from 1789-1873, then in Washington by the U.S.
Government Printing Office. Title varies slightly throughout.
Laws and treaties approved by Congress and signed by the President.
Statutes at Large are published in the order of the date of passage and
include text of amendments to the Constitution. Treaties and
proclamations were included until 1948.
Holland Ref Doc GS 4.111
First forty-two
Congresses, 1789-1873 from the Century of Lawmaking Collection
1789- Congressional Record and predecessors. A record
of what is said on the floor of Congress, published every day Congress
is in session. The sections are Proceedings of the Senate and House,
Extensions of Remarks, and Daily Digest. For a more detailed look at
these titles and their history see Overview of the
Congressional Record and Its Predecessor Publications.
1789-1838 American State Papers
Congressional documents from the first 14 congresses (1789-1816) and
some additional years are
known as the American State Papers.
Records are not complete due to the Capitol fire of 1814 and the lack
of record-keeping.
Holland and Terrell Libraries Locked Compact Storage: Serial nos.
01-038; Hol Doc Y [serial no.]; fill out a request card at the
Circulation Desk (24-hour turnaround); 2 hr. checkout
1817- U.S. Congressional Serial Set (WSU only) Beginning with the 15th Congress, full-text search access to the U.S. Congressional Serial Set. The database is searchable by keyword, subjects such as education, health, and social issues, publication category such as annual reports and public bills, House and Senate Committee, and Congress.
1869- Congressional Hearings
41st-73rd Cong., 1869-1934 Holland Microforms "Pre-1935
Congressional Hearings" microfiche
56th-97th Cong., 1900-1982 Holland Doc/Holland Microforms; Each
hearing in this period has an individual SuDocs number and is shelved
in Holland Doc (paper copy) or Holland Microforms (microfiche copy).
Identify the SuDoc call number through CIS U.S. Congressional
Committee Hearings Index (1833-1969; Holland Ref KF49.C62 U5), GPO Monthly
Catalog (1900-1998; Holland Ref Doc GP 3.8 or online 1976-) or
a number of other finding aids.
98th-102nd Cong., 1983-1992 Holland Microforms in CIS
Microfiche Library (cabinet 18, KF49.C62 C58x). Arranged by CIS
abstract no. which can be found in the CIS Index, Holland Ref
Z1223.Z7 C6.
1988- Congressional
Lexis/Nexis (selected hearings)
103rd Congress- , 1993- Holland Microforms; shelved with SuDoc
microfiche (cabinets 17-20); search for SuDoc no. the Griffin catalog.
105th Cong.- , 1997- GPO Access;
Thomas
1970- Congressional
Lexis/Nexis
An online index and full-text database of publications by and about the
U.S. Congress including hearings, bill texts, legislative histories,
voting records, congressional calendars, hot topics and more.