United States Government Publications in the University of Sydney Library
1. Introduction 1.1 Availability of U.S. official documents in Sydney
2. Directories and Guides 2.1 Federal Government 2.2 State Governments 2.3 Congress
3. Official Documents and Indexes 3.1 GPO and the Monthly Catalog 3.2 Earlier Indexes 1774 - 1940 3.3 General Indexes 3.4 Declassified Documents Reference System
4. The Constitution
5. Legislative Branch: The Congress 5.1 Official Proceedings 5.2 Verbatim Proceedings (Debates) 5.3 Legislation 5.4 Hearings 5.5 Reports and Documents 5.6 Indexes to Congressional Publications 5.7 The Continental Congress 5.8 Congress of the Confederate States
6. Executive Branch: The Administration 6.1 Administrative Regulations 6.2 Presidential Documents 6.3 Budget of the U.S. Government 6.4 Treaties
7. Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court
8. Statistics and Census
9. Technical Reports and Translations 9.1 National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 9.2 Joint Publications Research Service
10. State Government Documents
11. Bibliography
12. Acronyms and Abbreviations
Appendices: Other library publications dealing with government documents. Credits
1. INTRODUCTION
This document is a supplement to the United States Government Internet Guide and is intended as a guide to the use of the U.S. government collections in the University of Sydney Library. The guide mainly refers to items located in the Fisher Library (such as Microform, Audiovisual, Reference, Rare Books) unless otherwise indicated.
Although the Library is not a depository library for the documents, a set of Government Printing Office publications, as listed in the Superintendent of Documents' Monthly Catalog, is held in microprint. In Fisher Library, some government publications have been shelved in a separate sequence on the ninth floor of the Fisher Research Library and arranged by a special classification. Basically this arrangement is alphabetical by country, then alphabetical by type of publication, thenchronological, e.g.:
G for government publication
US for United States
D for debates
Some sets of government publications are held in microform (location prefix XTA or MIC) and are shelved in Storage. Also sets which have a prefix D in their call number are kept in Storage.
All other government publications are located in the general library collection and are listed in the library's catalogues.
This handout does not list all publications held by the Library. Others may be found by checking the subject catalogue at:
- United States Government Publications
- United States Congress
Should you have any difficulties finding a particular publication, please contact the Government Publications Librarian.
Computer searches
Several of the indexes listed on the following pages, e.g. American statistics index, Congressional information service, G.P.O. Monthly Catalog, and National Technical Information Service may be searched on-line. Enquire at the Fiaher Information Desk for information about these and a schedule of charges.
1.1 Availability of U.S. official documents in Sydney
A detailed listing of the holdings at the University of Sydney, the State Library, and the U.S. Information Service Library (as at 1970) is contained in the following:
R973.016 UNIVERSITY of Sydney. Dept. of History
3 Guide to research materials in American history
available in Sydney.
Sydney, 1971.
State Library of NSW
The State Library of NSW is a depository library for some (but not all) U.S. official documents. Several categories of the material are distributed to other libraries, such as N.S.W. government department libraries.
U.S. Information Research Center Sydney
U.S.I.R.C. Library has a collection of current material, mainly in the fields of contemporary politics, international relations, economics and statistics. More infromation about the Center can be found at:
U.S. Information Research Center Sydney
The following newspapers are received by air mail and kept for six months:
- New York Times,
- Washington Post,
- Wall Street Journal.
The New York Times is also held on microform, 1977+
Congressional Information Service:
Microfiche copies of current Congressional committee hearings, reports, etc., 1975+, can be obtained by the library within three days.
Wireless file: The library receives daily the texts of statements by senior government officials, new items, press statements, and a roundup of events in Congress.
Publications reference file: Lists all Government Printing Office publications currently in print or recently out-of-print, as well as forthcoming titles (microfiche set, updated twice each month: superseded sets are sent to the State Library).
Government Printing Office Publications: The library receives selected publications of the G.P.O. in the fields of domestic economy policy and foreign policy.
2. DIRECTORIES & GUIDES
2.1 Federal Government
R353.05 UNITED States government manual 3 (United States. Federal Register Office), Washington. (latest edition Reference; earlier RL)
Official handbook of the federal government, organizational directory to the legislative, judicial and executive branches as well as commissions, boards, etc. Cites the enabling legislation under which each agency operates. Includes a list of defunct government agencies. There is a guide to the sources of government information, and prominent publications of the various agencies are listed. Includes reprints of the following: The Constitution, Declaration of Independence, the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, and Government in the Sunshine Act.
R353.093025 ENCYCLOPEDIA of governmental advisory organisations
1 Detroit: Gale Research Co. 3rd edition, 1980
A guide to Presidential advisory committees, public advisory committees and other government-related boards, panels, task forces, commissions, conferences, and other similar bodies.
R353.00025 Federal regulatory directory 1979-80
1 Washington: Congressional Quarterly.
Lists of all agencies with rulemaking powers; includes agency and subject index.
R975.30025 Washington information directory
1 Washington: Congressional Quarterly
Government information sources listed under subject headings.
2.2 State Governments
R353.9 BOOK of the states (Council of State Governments) 9 Chicago
Biennial publication containing information about the state governments, including constitutions, legislation, elections, services and statistics. Issued with three supplements:
R353.9 1. State elective officials and the Legislatures. 34 R353.9 2. State legislative leadership, committees and staff. 36 R353.9 3. State administrative officials classified by function. 35
2.3 Congress
R328.73 UNITED States. Congress 58 Congressional directory. Washington. (latest edition)
Includes biographies of Members of Congress and Senators, directory of Congressional committees and officials, directory of the Executive and government departments, agencies and international organisations, the Diplomatic Corps, press galleries, maps of Congressional districts and an index of officials' names.
R328.73 Congressional Quarterly Service
83 Guide to the Congress of the United States: origins,
history and procedure.
Washington, 1971.
Explains how Congress works, its powers, the pressures upon it. Describes the history of the Congress and the legislative process. Includes a biographical index to Members of Congress 1789 - 1971.
R328.73 CONGRESS and the nation: a review of government and politics
57 Washington: Congressional Quarterly Service
V.1 1945 - 64
V.1 1965 - 68
V.3 1969 - 72
V.4 1973 - 76
V.5 1977 - 80
An encyclopaedic chronicle of congressional activity. An examination of government policy, expenditure, personnel charges, political events, etc.
R328.73 CONGRESSIONAL quarterly almanac 67 Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1969+
Annual analysis of congressional and political activity for the year. Includes a table of major legislation passed and condenses the congressional proceedings, President's statements and Supreme Court decisions under broad subject headings. e.g. the budget, foreign policy, etc.
R328.7309 Congressional Staff directory
1 Congressional Staff Directory Ltd.: Mt.Vernon, Va.
Lists and biographies of staff of Members of Congress and Congressional Committees.
3. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND INDEXES
3.1 GPO & the Monthly Catalog
The publications of the Government Printing Office are held in microprint. The microprint set includes a sizeable part of United States government administrative and legal publications, whether congressional, departmental, judicial, Presidential, or advisory committee.
United States government publications
(Readex Microprint Corp.) New York
Depository
XTA 3 1956 - 1980 (microcard)
MIC353.0005 1981 - 1985 (microfiche)
2
Non-Depository
XTA 4 1953 - 1980 (microcard)
MIC353.0005 1981 - 1985 (microfiche)
3
These sets are all kept in Storage.
The Readex set is complete to December 1985. Faculty members needing documents for the library's collection and published after 1985 should make a purchase request via the Acquisitions Department. Very urgent requests can be ordered online. Documents can also be obtained for retention by requesters who then pay all costs and charges.
The set is indexed by the Monthly Catalog of United States government publications. Each item is numbered sequentially as listed in the Monthly Catalog.
R015.7309046 UNITED States. Superintendent of Documents. 6 Monthly catalog of United States government publications. 1941+
Includes indexes by author, subject, series/report and title keyword. Also includes cumulative general indexes, cumulative subject index 1900 - 1971, and cumulative author index 1941+. A serials supplement is issued annually.
Each issue of the Monthly catalog consists of a list of the documents published during the month. Arranged by department and bureau, each entry includes the title of the document, author, year, pagination, item number, Library of Congress card number and Superintendent of Documents number. The ENTRY NUMBER is the access element for each document, both in the Monthly catalog main entry section and in the microprint collection. A black dot beside "Item" indicates that the document is a Depository item and should therefore be included in the Depository set at XTA3 or MIC.
Absence of a black dot indicates that the document should be included in the non-depository set at XTA4.
A selection of titles available in the microprint set
- American statistics index
- Budget of the United States government
- Bureau of the Census catalog
- Congressional directory
- Congressional record
- Educational statistics
- Federal Bureau of Investigation publications
- Federal register
- Grants and awards
- National Bureau of Standards product standards
- New serial titles (Library of Congress)
- Pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides
- United States Code
These are examples of the enormous range of publications available in the microprint set. For full listing, see the Monthly Catalog.
3.2 Earlier Indexes 1774 -1940
R328.73016 POORE, B.P. 1774-1881
3 A descriptive catalogue of the government
publications of the United States, Sept 5, 1774 to March 4,
1881.
Chronological listing with subject and name index. To determine serial numbers, use the Checklist noted below.
R328.73016 AMES, J.G. 1881-1893
1 Comprehensive index to the publications of the
United States government.
Alphabetical by subject, with a personal name index.
R328.73 UNITED States. Superintendent of Documents 1789-1909
59 Checklist of United States public documents, 1789-1909
Serial numbers for Congresses 1-60, including the American state papers, followed by lists of departmental publications. No index.
R328.73016 UNITED States. Superintendent of Documents 1893-1940
4 Catalog of the public documents of the....
Congress and all other departments of the government of the United States.
Entries are listed under government and personal authors, and under subject.
3.3 General Indexes
The following directories of government agencies and their publications include agency and title indexes:
R015.730904 EVERHART, Elfrida
2 A Handbook of United States public documents
Minneapolis: Wilson, 1910
R015.7309046 GUIDE to U.S. government serials and
periodicals
8 McLean, Va.: Documents Index, 1962-4
R015.7309046 GUIDE to U.S. government publications
8 Vol.1 : Current government agencies ed. by J.L. Andriot
McLean, Va. : Documents Index, 1973
R015.73 O'HARA, Frederic J
27 A guide to the publications of the executive branch
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Pierian Press, 1979
R015.73 VAN ZANT, Nancy P.
25 Selected U.S. government series: a guide for public and
academic libraries
Chicago: American Library Association, 1978.
R015.7309046 The annual serials supplement to the Superintendent
6 of Documents' Monthly Catalog
The following is useful for finding full bibliographic details of government reports when only the name of the chairman of the committee or the author is known:
R015.73 LIBRARY of Congress. Serials Division
23 Popular names of U.S. government reports: a catalog. 3rd ed.
Washington: Library of Congress, 1976.
Serials Index
R015.730947 Index to U.S. Government periodicals
3 Chicago: Infodata International Inc. 1970-
Annual subject and author index of articles in U.S.
government serials.
Serial title index
R016.05 RICH, Margaret
42 Title index to U.S. government serials as published by Readex
Microprint Corp.
(1953-1975)
Subject indexes
R016.01573 SCULL, Roberta A
4 A bibliography of United States government
bibliographies 1968-73.
Ann Arbor: Pierian Press, 1975.
R015.7309046 JACKSON, Ellen
4 Subject guide to major U.S. government publications
Chicago: A.L.A., 1968
R015.7309044 HIRSHBERG, H.S.
1 Subject guide to United States government publications
Chicago: A.L.A., 1947
R015.7309047 GOVERNMENT reference books... guide to U.S government
2 publications
Littleton: Libraries Unlimited, 1970/71 and 1974/75
LEIDY, W. Philip
R015.73 A Popular guide to government publications
22 2nd ed. 1951-60
R015.7309046 3rd ed. 1961-66
7
R015.73 4th ed. 1967-75
22
3.4 Declassified Documents Reference System
This is a collection of government reports, mostly C.I.A., State Department and Department of Defence, formerly classified as top secret, secret, or confidential, and declassified since the 1975 amendments to the Freedom of Information Act came into effect. The documents were therefore omitted from the microprint collection United States government publications, and were not indexed by the Monthly Catalog or Government reports announcements and index.
Declassified Documents Reference System
MIC973.92 Documents on microfiche 1975-1980
44
Declassified Documents Quarterly Catalog
R015.730534 Abstracts and subject index 1975-1980
1
4. THE CONSTITUTION
The Federal Constitution and constitutional amendments are reprinted in the Government Manual. The constitution is also found in Volume 1 of the Statutes at Large, the Revised Statutes and the United States Code. Reprints of the constitution and books written about the constitution are listed in the Name Catalogue under the heading: United States. Constitution, For example:
R342.73023 UNITED States. Constitution
2 The Constitution of the United States of America:
and Law analysis and interpretation. Annotations of cases
decided by the Supreme Court of the U.S. to June 29, 1973.
Washington: G.P.O., 1973
An encyclopaedic gloss on the Constitution, annotated to the leading cases. Contains tables showing acts of Congress held to be unconstitutional.
The Federal Constitution established three branches of government: the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branch.
5. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: THE CONGRESS
Elections are held for the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate every second year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. (Presidential elections take place on this day every fourth year.) There is therefore a new CONGRESS every two years, numbered consecutively from the First Congress, 1789-1791 to the 97th Congress, 1981-82, etc. Each Congress is divided into two SESSIONS, which begin in January each year.
Good introductory information can be found in:
R328.73003 CONGRESS A to Z
1 Washington DC : Congressional Quarterly Inc, 1986
5.1 Official Proceedings
The official records of Congressional proceedings are published as Journals.
The Journals contain lists of bills and resolutions, titles of petitions, Presidential messages to Congress, etc. The Journals of the Senate and the House of Representatives (1789+) are not held in the University of Sydney Library.
5.2 Verbatim Proceedings (Debates)
DSG.US UNITED States. Congress 1789-1850 D Abridgment of the debates of Congress
Index in each volume
DSG.US UNITED States. Congress 1789-1824
D1 Debates and proceedings in the Congress of the United States
(Also known as the Annals of Congress)
No index
UNITED States. Congress 1824-1837
Register of Debates in Congress
MIC328.7302 on microfilm
1
and
DSG.US Incomplete set in hardcopy, kept in Storage.
D2
There are separate indexes for the Senate and the House (not always in the same place in each volume).
UNITED States. Congress 1833-1873
Congressional globe: containing the proceedings
and debates of Congress
MIC328.73 (microform, Dec 1833 - Mar 1873)
105
UNITED States. Congress 1873-
Congressional record: containing the verbatim
proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Senate,
the extension of remarks, and the Daily Digest, which
highlights the congressional activity of the day.
MIC328.73 (microform, Mar 1873 - Jul 1981)
106
MIC328.73 (microform, Jul 1982 - Aug 1995)
109
Sessional index for both Senate and House: usually bound as a separate volume but sometimes included in the Appendix.
Warning: The pagination of the daily Congressional record differs from the pagination of the bound volumes.WWW access to US Congressional Record 1994+
5.3 Legislation
HOW TO TRACE LEGISLATION:
BILLS
The Congressional Record Index gives the full title of each bill and resolution with all action taken upon it, the Committee report numbers, and the page references to the Congressional record where it is introduced, reported, amended, debated, passed or rejected, signed by the President, and given a law number. Beginning with the 80th Congress (1947) a section called the Daily Digest has been added to the daily issues of the Congressional record. This lists the action taken on bills in each chamber, and notes committee meetings and reports.
ACTS
The following are all held in the Law Library:
UNITED States. Laws, Statutes, etc. 1940-1952, 1976+
United States code
Kept up-to-date by supplementary volumes.
Consolidated and codified version of the general and permanent laws of the United States arranged by subject, in 50 parts called Titles.
UNITED States. Law, Statutes, etc. 1848+
Statutes at large
Chronological arrangement of laws passed during each Congress.
UNITED States. Laws, Statutes, etc. 1939-1952
United States code, Congressional and administrative news
Current legislative information including some congressional debates and memoranda, etc.
UNITED States. Laws, Statutes, etc. 1940-1952, 1976
United States code annotated
Annotated with case law, treatises and journal articles
5.4 Hearings
After a bill has been introduced into Congress and printed it is considered by the appropriate committee where it is publicly discussed at the hearings. Presidential nominees for appointment as Cabinet Secretary (i.e. Minister), Ambassador, etc. appear before committee hearings for approval before their appointments can be confirmed by the Senate.
UNITED States. Congress 1869-1934
MIC Hearings
328.7307658 on microfiche
1
1906-1968
DSG.US An incomplete hardcopy set shelved in numerical order by
HE Congress and Session
Some Hearings have also been catalogued as books and are listed in the Name Catalogue. From 1956 to 1985 the University of Sydney holds any published hearings as they are included in the microprint United States government publications described above.
INDEX
An index is at the beginning of the microfiche. The full-size index is in the Fisher Reference Collection.
R328.7304 UNITED States. Congress. Senate 1835-1971
4 Library Cumulative index of congressional
committee hearings (not confidential in character)... in the
United States Senate Library.
Hearings since 1970 are indexed by C.I.S. Annual.
MIC 1869-1934
328.7307658 Congressional hearing 41st congress through 73rd Congress
1 Westport, Greenwood.
These microfiche sets are in the A.V. area at MIC328.7307658/1 but are arranged in three separate arrangements and are approached in slightly different ways.
- Documented These are arranged by Congress and are accessed from the alphabetical subject index. (Full size R328.7304/4 or microfiche). The first 3 columns of the index give the Congress, session. document, volume and number. Note: that these volume numbers have nothing to do with the volume number described in the next or undocumented series (the bulk of the collection.
- Not-documented These are arranged in two series in running volume and number order. The first series consists of hearings before Senate, Joint and Select, and special committees.
The other consists of hearings before House Committees.
Both are approached from the alphabetical subject index mentioned above R328.7304/4 (or the microfiche index). The last two columns of this index gives the volume and item number. As the same volume numbers are used in the two series it is necessary for the requester to ask not only for volume and item number but also to specify whether the volume is in the Senate or the House sequence. This information can be found easily by looking at the top of the pages in the index.
The fiche have printed headings showing senate of House and volume numbers and the item number is written in the body of the fiche.
The index contains an alphabetical subject index including separate alphabetical indexes of the Senate, House and other committee hearings, and indexes of Senate and House hearings by bill numbers.
- Supplement These fiche are identified by alphabetical symbols with some mnemonic quality, e.g. HAc equals House Committee on Accounts, are arranged according to the shelflist in the hard copy volume R328.7304/4 (Supplement to the Index of congressional hearings...) The order is House Committees, Senate Committees, Joint Committees, Senate Select... House Select... Committees, so the order is not strictly alphabetical.
The alphabetical subject index to the supplement fiche in at the front of this volume and directs users to the mnemonic code letters. There is a list of code symbols at the front of the book. There is also a bill number index.
5.5 Reports and Documents
At the close of each congressional session, House and Senate documents are issued in the numbered Congressional Set (also known variously as the "sheep set", the "serial set", or the "congressional series"). The Congressional Set includes reports of Congressional Committees and all other papers ordered to be printed by either house of Congress. The reports and documents are also included in the microprint United States government publications, and the reports are indexed by subject, title and name of committee in the Monthly Catalog.
DS.G.US UNITED States. Congress 1848-1960 CS Congressional set.
An incomplete set of House and Senate documents shelved in the numerical sequence of Congress. Some copies of reports have also been catalogued as books and are listed in the Name Catalogue.
G.US UNITED States. Congress
SP The new American State papers.
Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources, 1972
The set is arranged under broad subjects, and drawn together from three sources:
- The original American state papers: a compilation of early Congressional publications, 1789-1838.
- The Congressional set, 15th Congress, 1817+
- The Legislative Records
Section of the National Archives in Washington.
5.6 Indexes to Congressional Publications
328.73 CONGRESSIONAL Information Service 1789-1969
96 C.I.S.U.S. Serial set index
Washington: C.I.S. 1975-79
There is a user handbook to this index with the set at R328.73/96/2
R015.73 A BIBLIOGRAPHY and indexes of congressional 1911-1969
21 committee prints from the Sixty-first Congress,
1911,through the Ninety-first Congress, First session, 1969
in the United States Senate Library.
Westport: Greenwood Press, 1976.
R328.7303 C.I.S. annual
1 1970+
(Congressional Information Service) Washington.
Part 1: Abstracts
Part 2: Indexes
Abstracts cover almost all publications of Congress. Subjects and names are indexed and there are cross-references from Senate or house document or report number or public bill number to its abstract.
5.7 The Continental Congress
PROCEEDINGS
UNITED States. Continental Congress
Journals
G.US Johnson reprint, V1-34, 1774-1789 1774-1789
CT
and
RB Rare Book Library, (1774-1777)
4675.25 1774
9698.1 1775-6
9678.2 1776-7
UNITED States. Continental Congress
Secret journal of the acts and proceedings of Congress
from the first meeting thereof to the dissolution of the
Confederation, by the adoption of the constitution of the
United States.
RB9721.7 Volume 1: Domestic affairs
Volumes 2-4: Foreign affairs
and
G.US Johnson reprint 1775-1788
CX
PAPERS
973.312016 BUTLER, John P
1 Index, the papers of the Continental Congress 1774-1789.
Washington,
National Archiving Records Service, G.P.O., 1978.
5.8 Congress of the Confederate States
PROCEEDINGS
G.US CONFEDERATE States of America. 1861-1865
CC Congress Journal (Kraus reprint, 7 volumes)
Index in each volume.
6. EXECUTIVE BRANCH: THE ADMINISTRATION
The Executive Branch consists of the President, the Executive Office of the President ("The White House"), the Cabinet (composed of the heads of the federal departments), and the government departments and agencies.
R015.73 O'HARA, Frederic J.
27 A guide to the publications of the Executive branch.
Ann Arbor, Mich: Pierian, 1979.
6.1 Administrative Regulations
The Federal register contains administrative rules, regulations notices, presidential proclamations, executive orders, procedures and practices of federal agencies. It is a source for the text of the rules and regulations which have the force of law. The monthly indexes are cumulated quarterly and annually. The Federal register and the Federal register index are included in the microprint United States government publications. The Federal register 1978+ is held at the State Library and the Law Library. The Code of federal regulations is held at the United States Information Service Library.
6.2 Presidential Documents
973.05 UNITED States. President 1945+
8 Public papers of the President of the United States
(U.S. National Archives and Records Service.
Federal Register Office) Washington
Also held as part of the microprint United States government publications.
353.035 WEEKLY compilation of Presidential documents 1972+
1 (United States. National Archives and Records Service)
Washington
Includes addresses and remarks, announcements, appointments and nominations, bill signings, communications to Congress, executive orders, letters, messages, telegrams, memorandums to federal agencies, news conferences, proclamations, White House statements, and a digest of other announcements and press releases.
Individual works by Presidents acting in their official capacity are listed in the Library catalogue under the heading: UNITED States. President.
Official acts of the president printed before 1801 are available as part of the Readex Microprint edition of Early American imprints at XTA12. The collection is arranged according to the numbers in Charles Evans' American bibliography:
R015.730903 EVANS, Charles
1 American bibliography: a chronological dictionary of
all books, pamphlets and periodical publications printed
in the United States of America from the genesis of printing
in 1639 down to and including the year 1820.
New York: Peter Smith, 1941-59.
Information about Presidential Advisory Commissions can be found in:
R353.093 ZINK, Steven D
3 Guide to the Presidential Advisory Commissions 1973-84
Alexandria VA: Chadwick-Healey, 1987
6.3 Budget of the U.S. Government
335.00722 UNITED States. Office of Management and Budget
9 [Budget documents]
1923-43, 37-61, 78, 81
Also included in the microprint edition
of
United States government publications.
WWW access to US Budgets
6.4 Treaties
The texts of treaties and agreements between the United States and foreign governments are contained in the following:
Law Lib. MALLOY, W.M. 1776-1937
Treaties, conventions, international acts, protocols
and agreements between the U.S.A. and other
powers.
1776-1909
1910-1923 comp. by C.F. Redmond
1923-1937 comp. by E.J. Trenwith
4th volume is the index.
327.73 UNITED States. Dept. of State 1861+
389 Foreign relations of the United States: diplomatic papers.
Washington
Note that publication is approximately 30 years behind, thus the set is complete to 1950 only (as at 1982)
Prior to 1950, the official texts of all treaties and conventions were also published in the Statutes at Large.
The texts of treaties are available in the microprint United States government publications (Depository), 1956+. They are indexed in the Monthly Catalog (Serials supplement) as follows:
State Department
Treaties and other international agreements. 1956+
Selected press releases on foreign policy issued by the Department of State and the White House, and statements addresses and news conferences of the President and the Secretary of State and other officials, plus information concerning international treaties and agreements are published in the Department of State bulletin (weekly), which is included in the microprint United States government publications.
LISTS AND INDEXES
Law Lib. UNITED States. Dept. of State 1814-1988
Catalogue of treaties, 1814-1918
Washington: Govt. Printing Office, 1919
The State Department's regular List of treaties in force is published in the microprint United States government publications.
Subject Index (in microprint):
This index is thus found in the microprint set as Item 2238 of 1977.
7. JUDICIAL BRANCH: THE SUPREME COURT
The Constitution established the Supreme Court and provided for the establishment of other federal courts by Congress. The Constitution vests federal judicial powers in the Supreme Court, however these powers do not extend to the making of laws (the exclusive right of the legislative branch) or to the enforcing of laws (the prerogative of the executive branch). The Supreme Court is the arbiter of the powers of the President vis-a-vis the Congress.
The official decisions of the Supreme Court are entitled United States reports, which are first published individually as "slip opinions", then republished in bound volumes at the end of each term. In addition to containing the official decisions of the Supreme Court, the United States reports incorporate The Journal of the Supreme Court which summarises the court's proceedings, announcements and orders.
Law Library United States. Supreme Court
United States reports, cases adjudged in the Supreme Court.
Volume 1, 1790+
Official publications of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts are included in the microprint United States government publications.
8. STATISTICS AND CENSUS
R317.3 UNITED States. Bureau of the Census 4 Statistical abstract of the United States (latest edition Reference; earlier RL)
Also available in microprint United States government publications
Summary statistics on the social, political and economic organisation of the United States.
R317.3 UNITED States. Bureau of the Census
11 Historical statistics of the United States: colonial
times to 1970.
Washington: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1975.
A comprehensive compilation of statistics from a variety of sources with references to sources of greater detail.
Index
R317.06 AMERICAN statistics index 1973+
1 (Congressional Information Service)
Washington
A comprehensive guide to the statistical publications of the United States government, some of which are listed in the Monthly Catalog.
Includes abstracts and subject indexes.
CENSUS
There is a redistribution of Congressional districts every ten years after each decimal census. Fisher Library holds reports of census results since the 10th Census, 1880. They are also held as they are included in the microprint United States government publications. Details of the Library's holdings of census reports, and other Bureau of the Census publications are listed in the Serials Catalogue under the heading: United States. Bureau of the Census.
Index
R311.3973 Census catalog and guide 1952+
1 (United States Bureau of the Census)
9. TECHNICAL REPORTS & TRANSLATIONS
9.1 National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
NTIS is the central source for sale of U.S. government- sponsored research, development and engineering reports, as well as research reports acquired from foreign sources. Approximately one million documents are available from NTIS, and these are not generally published by the Government Printing Office. NTIS reports are indexed in Government reports announcements & index. The Engineering Library has a large collection of NTIS documents on microfiche, and those not held can be obtained through the inter-library loan service. They can also be accessed and ordered on-line through the Dialog system.
GOVERNMENT reports announcements and index
(United States. National Technical Information Service)
Springfield Va.
This title supersedes, and continues the numbering system of:
GOVERNMENT Reports announcements
1955-1975
and
GOVERNMENT reports annual index
1967-1975
GOVERNMENT reports announcements and index and its predecessors are available online and are included in the microprint
United States government publications.
Those NTIS publications sold by the G.P.O. are indicated in the Monthly Catalog by an "at" sign (@) and are thus also sometimes available in the microprint United States government publications.
9.2 Joint Publications Research Service
The JPRS is a branch of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Since its foundation in 1957, the JPRS has been the largest single source in the world of English language translations of journal and newspaper articles, and books, government documents, radio broadcasts,etc. Subject covered are mainly in the fields of science, technology and the social sciences. JPRS translations are available through NTIS. A small proportion of the translations are held in the microprint United States government publications (non-depository) at XTA4 1958-1980 (MIC353.0005/3 for 1981-5),and since 1978, a growing number are available in the Depository set at XTA3 (MIC353.0005/2 for 1981-5). [All these sets are located in Storage.]
The following sets of JPRS translations are held at the University of New South Wales Library: U.S.A. Joint Publications Research Service. International communist developments (microfilm) 1957-62. U.S.A. Joint Publications Research Service (Translations)(Microfiche) 1967-75.
These sets are difficult to use; there is no subject approach.
Indexes
R015.7309046 INDEX to Readex microprint edition of J.P.R.S. reports.
10 (Joint Publications Research Service) (Readex Microprint Corp)
New York V.1, 1958/63+
Lists each JPRS report number and its corresponding Monthly Catalog number, thus enabling location of the translation in the microprint United States government publications.
R016 TRANSDEX (Bell & Howell Company. Microprint Division) 8 Wooster, Ohio 1975+
Monthly indexes in hardcopy, annual cumulative indexes on microfiche. Includes title keyword index, personal name index and a list of contents of individual JPRS packets, although there is no subject index.
10. STATE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
R016.01573 LIBRARY of Congress
3 A guide to the microfilm collection of early state records.
Washington: Library of Congress
Photo duplication Service, 1950
MIC342.730242 BROWN, Cynthia B 1776-1959
1 State constitutional conventions from
independence to the completion of the present
union.
Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1971.
On microfiche
Leaflet bibliographies for each state are shelved with the microfiche.
The constitutions of the state governments are printed in the Statutes at Large and the Book of the States.
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
PERIODICALS
025.17305 DOCUMENTS to the people
3 Chicago: American Library Association
Government Documents Round Table, No.1, 1972+
025.17305 GOVERNMENT publications review
2 Elmsford, N.Y.: Pergamon, V.1, 1973+
PUBLIC documents highlights Washington,
G.P.O., No.3, April 1974+ included in:
United States government publications
(Depository)
XTA3 1956-1980 (microcard)
MIC353.0005 1981-1985 (microfiche)
2
These sets are kept in Storage.
BOOKS
R015.730904 BOYD, Anne M
2 United States Government publications.
New York: Wilson, 1949
025.3 DOWNEY, James A
76 U.S. federal official publications: the
international dimension
Oxford: Pergamon, 1978
070.595 FRY, Bernard M
4 Government publications: key papers
Oxford: Pergamon, 1981
R015.73 LARSON, Donna R
28 Guide to U.S. Government Directories 1970-1980
Phoenix AZ, Oryx Press, 1981
R015.73 MOREHEAD, Joe
19 Introduction to United States public documents
Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1983
025.173 NAKATA, Yuri
28 From press to people: collecting and
using U.S. government publications
Chicago: American Library Association, 1979
028.7 O'HARA, Frederic J
43 Reader in government documents
Washington: N.C.R., 1973
R015.73053 ROSS, John M
1 How to use the major indexes to U.S. Government Publications
Chicago: American Library Association, 1989
025.173 SCHMECKBEIER, L.F.
8 Government publications and their use
and Law 2nd re. ed. Washington: Brookings Institution, 1969
R016.01573 SCULL, Roberta A
4 A bibliography of United States Government Bibliographies
Ann Arbor, Mich: Pierian Press, 1968-
R015.73053 SEARS, Jean L and MOODY, Maralyn K
4 Using government publications (2 vols)
Phoenix AR: Oryz Press, 1985
R015.73053 WILLIAMS, Wiley J
5 Subject guide to major United States Government publications
Chicago: American Library Association, 1987
12. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Note: * indicates an agency now defunct
# commercial publisher
ACDA Arms control and Disarmament Agency
AEC *Atomic Energy Commission
AFRTS Armed Forces Radio and Television Service
AID Agency for International Development
DIA Bureau of Indian Affairs
BIB Board for International Broadcasting
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
BRS Bibliographic Retrieval Services (Inc.)
CAB Civil Aeronautics Board
CBO Congressional Budget Office
CCH #Commerce Clearing House
CDC Center for Disease Control
CEA Council of Economic Advisers
CEQ Council on Environmental Quality
CETA Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1970
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CIJE Current Index to Journals in Education
CIS #Congressional Information Service
C.J.S. Corpus Juris Secundum
COSATI Committee on Scientific and Technical Information
CP Carrollton Press
CQ #Congressional Quarterly
CR Congressional Record
CRS Congressional Research Service
CY Calendar Year
DDC Defence Documentation Center
DEA Drug Enforcement Agency
DMA Defence Mapping Agency
DocEx Documents Expediting Project
DOD Department of Defence
DOE Department of Energy
DttP Documents to the People
EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
EO Executive Order
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ERA Energy Research Abstracts; Equal Rights Amendment
ERDA *Energy Research and Development Administration
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
EximBank Export-Import Bank of the United States
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FBIS Foreign Broadcast Information Service
FCC Federal Communications Commission
FDA Food and Drug Administration
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FR Federal Register
FTC Federal Trade Commission
FY Fiscal Year
GAO General Accounting Office
GODORT Government Documents Round Table
GPO Government Printing Office
GPR Government Publications review
GRA&I Government Reports Announcements and Index
GSA General Services Administration
HEW *Department of Health Education and Welfare
HHS Department of Health and Human Services
HR House of Representatives (bill)
HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development
ICA International Communication Agency
ICC Interstate Commerce Commission
IHS #Information Handling Service
Other library publications dealing with government documents are:
- British Government Publications
- International Governmental Organisations
- European Union Publications
- Australian Government Publications
- Australian Historical Statistics
- Australian Public Policy
- Australian Parliamentary Reports Index
Credits
This is a guide to the government publications held in the University of Sydney Library.
Printed versions of this document can be obtained from the Information Desk at Fisher Library.
The text of this document was written by Ian Duncan in December 1982 and updated by Ray Penn. It is being constantly revised. Any comments or suggestions should be directed to: Ray Penn, Government Publications Librarian at: r.penn@library.usyd.edu.au.
This document is a supplement to the United States Government Internet Guide.
