I know the government publishes a lot of information. When would you recommend seeking out government documents to answer a reference question?

United States Government documents are very useful in answering reference questions especially when the researcher is seeking primary sources (e.g., the text of federal laws and federal court cases), expert opinion (e.g., the testimony of expert witnesses at Congressional hearings), or the latest information on a given topic (e.g., current information on a particular country). U.S Government documents also offer demographic and statistical data as well as information useful for consumers. To get a sense of the variety and usefulness of these documents, take a look at our U. S. Government Documents Department’s Documents You Can Use. This will give you some idea of the breadth and scope of U.S. Government documents.

So how do I find these documents?

The U.S. Government Printing Office has created a Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), which indexes documents from 1976 through present. The vast majority of references are to print documents. The U.S. Government Document can be found at your local Federal Depository Library. It’s worth remembering that the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is the finding aid for both print and electronic documents published by all three branches of government. In many cases, more recent documents are available electronically on the Web and you can easily locate them using this wonderful resource.

Another thing you’ll want to remember is that several of the most useful U.S. Government documents formerly available only in print are now also available electronically. These include the following:

• United States Government Manual – the official handbook of the federal government containing information on all agencies of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches as well as independent agencies.
  
  
• Statistical Abstract of the United States – ready access to statistics on the economic, political, and social organization of the United States.
  
  
• CIA World Factbook – formerly available in both print and online formats, this useful source for information on the economy, geography, government, and people of every nation is now only available online.

Essential Resources and Other Sources: Social Science and History

The Social Science and History Department at the State Library Resource Center covers subject areas including: law, history, travel and maps, genealogy, sociology, politics, archaeology, politics, and education.

Essential Resources

For customers asking for definitions of legal terms, Black’s Law Dictionary is your standard source. It also contains a useful table of legal abbreviations.

The Complete Dictionary of Symbols gives you a one-volume source that explores the meanings behind many of our most familiar symbols.

Current Biography Yearbook is great for biographical articles on living leaders across the globe.

A customer planning a birthday celebration for her grandmother needs a source that will tell her events and popular books, plays, and songs for the year 1945. The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates will assist you in finding the answers.

If you’re trying to find information about any U.S. President, Facts about the Presidents: From George Washington to George W. Bush is, by far, the most comprehensive source.

Guide Book of United States Coins (or U.S. coin red book, as most of us think of it) is perfect for any questions your customers may have about U.S. coins.

Guinness World Records is fun to read as well as a useful reference tool. It provides thousands of records covering such fields as entertainment, geography, science, and sports.

The Official Congressional Directory is the place to go for any questions about a U.S. Representative, Senator, or Congress, in general.

Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year Colleges will give you recent information on financial aid, majors, student life, tuition, and athletics.

If you have ever wondered where to look for census, church, court, land, or military records, The Source: a Guidebook to American Genealogy is the perfect starting point.

Other Sources

Almanac of American Politics provides analysis of U.S. senators, representatives, and governors along with a look at their voting records and the districts they represent.

Europa World Year Book is great for customers looking for more detail on recent developments in economics, education, defense, and politics for specific countries.

Ever have someone ask you about the meaning of their last name? The Dictionary of American Family Names will tell you both the derivation of an American family name and the meaning.

The newly-revised Dictionary of American History provides users with an excellent resource on any question dealing with American history.

For students looking for details on daily life during a specific time, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life: A Tour through History from Ancient Times to the Present is the perfect starting point for research.

The Handbook of Private Schools is the standard educational resource for information on private schools in the United States and Canada.

The Statesman’s Year-book is an excellent source for information on government, defense, economy, trade, communications, social institutions, and natural resources for every country in the world.

The United States Government Manual furnishes information on the various agencies of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government.

U.S. Laws, Acts, and Treaties is a great help for library customers seeking background information on a specific law or act such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Family and Medical Leave Act.

West’s Encyclopedia of American Law explains legal issues and topics in a manner comprehensible to readers who are not attorneys. This is particularly useful for people looking for information on subjects such as civil liberties or habeas corpus.