Electronic Resources:

 

Government "MetaPortals"

 

• GPO Access: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted.

 

• USA.GOV: http://www.usa.gov/

  Excellent source for government information organized for use by citizens, business and non-profits, federal employees and intra-governmental agencies. Information is listed by federal, state, local and tribal governmental agencies. Contact information for government agencies, as well as a “reference center” that includes links to statistical data and regulatory information, is provided.

   

Executive Branch Information:

 

• The White House:http://www.whitehouse.gov/

  Official website for the President of the United States

   

• Official US Executive Branch Web Site:

  http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/fedgov.html

  Includes links to executive agencies, departments, independent agencies, boards, commissions and committees, and quasi-official agencies

   

• Code of Federal Regulations: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html

  The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.

   

• The Federal Register: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html

  The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

   

• National Labor Relations Board: http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/home/default.asp The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector.

 

• POTUS: Presidents of the United States -- http://ipl.org/div/potus From the Internet Public Library.

  Provides background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents. Links to biographies, historical documents, audio and video files, and other presidential sites are also included. Compiled by Harvard Law professor Robert S. Summers.

   

Legislative Branch Information:

 

• Thomas: http://thomas.loc.gov/ Legislative information from the Library of Congress

 

• U.S. House of Representatives -- http://clerk.house.gov/ Member listing from the Office of the Clerk, U.S. House

 

• U.S. Senate Home Page

  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

   

• The United States Code: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html

            Published every six years, the U.S. Code consists of 50 titles and is the final, authoritative source for the final version of all public laws. GPO                     Access contains the 1994 and 2000 editions of the U.S. Code with annual supplements.

 

• The Congressional Record: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/index.html

  The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. GPO Access contains Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities.

   

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress – 1774-present: http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp Database searchable by Name, Position, Party, State, and Year or Congress

 

• Congressional Hearings:http://www.gpoaccess.gov/chearings/index.html

A hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, Joint, or Special Committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or evaluate/oversee the activities of a government department or the implementation of a Federal law. In addition, hearings may also be purely exploratory in nature, providing testimony and data about topics of current interest. Most Congressional hearings are published two months to two years after they are held. Only hearings released to GPO from the committees are made available on GPO Access.

 

• Congressional Reports: U.S. Congressional Serial Set http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/index.html

  Congressional reports originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. There are two types of reports House and Senate Reports and Senate Executive Reports

   

Judicial Branch Information

 

• United States Courts: http://www.uscourts.gov/ Provides links to the four U.S. courts:

  Supreme Court: At its discretion, and within certain guidelines established by Congress, the Supreme Court each year hears a limited number of the cases it is asked to decide. Those cases may begin in the federal or state courts, and they usually involve important questions about the Constitution or federal law. The bound copy is the final authority for Supreme Court decision.

   

• Court of Appeals: The 94 U.S. judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a United States court of appeals. A court of appeals hears appeals from the district courts located within its circuit, as well as appeals from decisions of federal administrative agencies. In addition, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws and cases decided by the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims.

 

• District Courts: The United States district courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters.

 

• Bankruptcy Courts: Each of the 94 federal judicial districts handles bankruptcy matters, and in almost all districts, bankruptcy cases are filed in the bankruptcy court. Bankruptcy cases cannot be filed in state court

 

Related non-government law resources:

 

• FindLaw: www.findlaw.org FindLaw is the highest-trafficked legal Web site, providing the most comprehensive set of legal resources on the Internet for legal professionals, corporate counsel, law students, businesses, and consumers. These resources include Web search utilities, cases and codes, legal news, an online career center, and community-oriented tools, such as a secure document management utility, e-mail newsletters, and message boards.

 

• Legal Information Institute: www.law.cornell.edu The “Law about” section offers a wide array of articles and related works on the law. Also includes sections on the constitution and codes, and court opinions.

 

• FindLaw: http://www.findlaw.com FindLaw is the highest-trafficked legal Web site, providing the most comprehensive set of legal resources on the Internet for legal professionals, corporate counsel, law students, businesses, and consumers. These resources include Web search utilities, cases and codes, legal news, an online career center, and community-oriented tools, such as a secure document management utility, e-mail newsletters, and message boards.

 

Independant Agencies:

 

• Central Intelegence Agency:  cia.gov

   

  Freedom of Information Reading Room

 

 

 

Other Government Document Resources:

 

• Federal Depository Library Program: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/about.html

The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress in 1813 to American citizens access to government information. Government documents are provided to Depository Libraries at no cost. Nearly 1250 Depository Libraries offer unrestricted access to information published by the Government.

 

• FedStats: www.fedstats.gov FedStats provides information for Federal agencies reporting expenditures of at least $500,000 per year in one or more statistical activities. Information is organized by:

  o A-Z topic

  o Statistics by geography from U.S. agencies

  o Statistical reference shelf

  o Agencies listed alphabetically

  o Agencies by subject

  o Data access tools

• CIA World Fact Book: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

• MapStats: http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/

  Statistical profiles of States, counties, cities, Congressional Districts, and Federal judicial districts

   

• Statistical Abstract: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.

 

• U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/ The Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. Especially useful for answering commonly asked questions:
  • Data Tools
  • American FactFinder

   

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/

        Examples of information found include the nature of the job, working conditions, training and other requirements, employment figures, job outlook,         related occupations and earnings.

 

• PubMed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

  PubMed is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that includes over 16 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s. PubMed includes links to full text articles and other related resources.

   

• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/#

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provides information on how to locate patents and trademarks online.

   

• Government Information Locator Service: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/gils/

  The Government Information Locator Service (GILS) is an effort to identify, locate, and describe publicly available Federal information resources, including electronic information resources. GILS records identify public information resources within the Federal Government, describe the information available in these resources, and assist in obtaining the information.

   

• Budget of the U.S. Government: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/

Issued by the Office of Management and Budget, the Budget of the United States Government is a collection of documents that contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year. Other related and supporting budget publications, such as the Economic Report of the President, are included, which may vary from year to year.

 

 

State of Illinois Resources

 

• Illinois Blue Book http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/illinois_bluebook/2005_2006/home.html

Provides biographical and contact information for office holders in the state, and information about select government agencies.

• Illinois General Assembly: http://www.ilga.gov/

Links to information on Illinois legislation and laws, house and senate activities, rules and regulations and other resources.

 

Other States Resources:

• State and Local Government on the Internet -- A directory of state, county and city government websites.

  http://www.statelocalgov.net/index.cfm

   

SuDocs - Legislative Process:

 

• An Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System:

  http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/explain.html

   

• Primer on the Legislative Process:

  http://thomas.loc.gov/home/laws_made.html

 

Print Resources

 

The following select resources are available in Crown Library's Government Document Collection, with the exception of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is shelved in the Reference Collection, located on the ground floor of the library.

 

Executive Branch:

 

• The Federal Register:

  The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents

   

• Code of Federal Regulations:

  The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.

   

• National Labor Relations Board: The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector.

 

Legislative:

 

• Statutes at Large:

  The United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the official source for the laws and resolutions passed by Congress. Publication began in 1845 by the private firm of Little, Brown and Company under authority granted by a joint resolution of Congress. In 1874, Congress transferred the authority to publish the Statutes at Large to the Government Printing Office, which has been responsible for producing the set since that time.

   

• The United States Code (laws enacted by congress)Published every six years, the U.S. Code consists of 50 titles and is the final, authoritative source for the final version of all public laws. GPO Access contains the 1994 and 2000 editions of the U.S. Code with annual supplements.

 

• The Congressional Record:

  The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. GPO Access contains Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities.

   

• Congressional Hearings: A hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, Joint, or Special Committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or evaluate/oversee the activities of a government department or the implementation of a Federal law. In addition, hearings may also be purely exploratory in nature, providing testimony and data about topics of current interest. Most Congressional hearings are published two months to two years after they are held. Only hearings released to GPO from the committees are made available on GPO Access.

 

• House and Senate Reports, Committee Reports: Congressional reports originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation. There are two types of reports: House and Senate Reports and Senate Executive Reports.

 

• Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared: Special Senate Report of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

• CIS/Index to Publications of the United States Congress:

  Commercial finding tools for locating Congressional Materials.

   

   

• Congressional Directory:

  Provides information on Senate and Representatives by State, Executive information and Department and Agencies.

   

Judicial:

 

• Official Reports of the Supreme Court- Preliminary Print
•  

• United States Reports: Only the printed bound volumes of the United States Reports contain the final, official opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States. In case of discrepancies between a bound volume and the materials included here--or any other version of the same materials, whether print or electronic, official or unofficial--the printed bound volume controls.

 

Other Resources:

 

• U.S. Government Manual: As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the United States participates, and boards, commissions, and committees.

 

• Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:

  The Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office is the official journal relating to patents and trademarks. It has been published weekly since January 1872 (replacing the old “Patent Office Reports”), and is now issued each Tuesday in two parts, one describing patents and the other trademarks. It contains a claim and a selected figure of the drawings of each patent granted on that day; notices of patent and trademark lawsuits; indexes of patents and patentees; list of patents available for license or sale; a list of Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDLs); and much general information such as orders, notices, changes in rules, changes in classification, etc. The Official Gazette is sold on subscription and by single copies by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

   

• Census:
  • Population and Housing Unit Counts: California, 2000. Provides census information for Population, Housing Units, Land Area and Density; listed by County.
  • Social and Economic Characteristics, Maine: 1990 Census of Population. Diverse information on Race and Origin, Occupation, Income, Geographic Mobility and other areas of census data. Use the "List of Statistical Tables" to become familiar with material.

 

• Statistical Abstract: The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.

 

• American Housing Survey for the Chicago Metropolitan Area in 1991.

  Detailed information specific to housing. Examples include: "Selected Equipment and Plumbing - Occupied Units with Hispanic Householder," and "Income, Costs, and Mortgage - Occupied Units with Hispanic Householder."

   

   

• Digest of Education Statistics:

  Digest of Education Statistics provides a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from pre-kindergarten through graduate school. Information includes number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, libraries, and international education.

   

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Examples of information found include the nature of the job, working conditions, training and other requirements, employment figures, job outlook, related occupations and earnings.

 

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