Research Guides: U.S. Government: U.S. Documents at the State Library

United States Documents Collection

The New Jersey State Library has been a Federal Depository Library since 1895. Federal depository libraries provide free access to federal publications and resources and make available, trained librarians to assist in their use.

The New Jersey State Library is a selective federal depository library, selecting 57% of what the Government Publishing Office (GPO) distributes to federal depository libraries.
About the Collection

The State Library's US Documents collection is tailored to meet the needs of State government, with an emphasis on the Social Sciences, Legal, and Congressional materials. State Library holdings include a complete Census collection, dating back to the 1st Census (1790), and a comprehensive collection of Congressional reports and documents. The State Library contains major holdings from the following federal agencies: Commerce, Education, Environmental Protection, Health & Human Services, Justice, and Labor.

Cataloging
All the federal documents the State Library currently receives from the Government Publishing Office (GPO) are cataloged*.

*Since March 2009, the State library has participated in the GPO's Cataloging Record Distribution Program. This Program distributes cataloging records directly to federal depository libraries, providing automatic dissemination of cataloging records and direct access to online documents. Many documents are now released in electronic format only. These documents are included in the State Library's catalog, which enables library users to access government documents both remotely and on-site.

Earlier, pre-1976 documents that don’t appear in our catalog can be retrieved by using our subscription and free GPO databases.

Level 4, US Documents Collection

Location
The majority of the State Library's US Documents collection is shelved in Superintendent of Documents classification number order on level 4 and level 1.
Legal materials like the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, the United States Code, and the Statutes at Large, are located in the Law Library on level 3.
What Circulates?
The majority of the collection circulates; reference items or periodicals do not circulate.

Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)

About the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)

The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government’s information. The Government Publishing Office (GPO) administers the FDLP on behalf of the participating libraries and the public. Information products from the Federal Government are disseminated to these nationwide libraries that, in turn, ensure the American public has free access to the materials, both in print and online.

Federal Government information is made available for free public use in Federal depository libraries located throughout the United States and its territories. Anyone can visit Federal depository libraries and access the collections.

Legal Requirements & Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library Program
The Legal Requirements & Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library is a single, concise resource to consult for the current legal and Program obligations of libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program.

Federal Depository Library Directory
Information for New Depository Coordinators
This FDLP Research Guide is designed to answer any questions that a new depository coordinator may have.
FDLP Coordinator Calendar
This FDLP Research Guide is designed to answer any questions that a new depository coordinator may have.

Government Publishing Office (GPO)

United States Code, Title 44, Public Printing and Documents SuDoc: Y 4.P 93/1, Joint Committee Print, S. Prt. 111-30, October 1, 2010 PUBLIC PRINTING AND DOCUMENTS And Miscellaneous Statutes Identifying the Authority of the JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 2010 EDITION
Legal Requirements & Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library Program
The Legal Requirements & Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library is a single, concise resource to consult for the current legal and Program obligations of libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program.

Federal Depository Library Directory

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) This link opens in a new window
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Search for federal publications, including descriptive information for historical and current publications as well as direct links to the full document, when available. Users can search by authoring agency, title, subject, and general keywords. Maintained by the Government Publishing Office (GPO).

Keeping America Informed by Government Printing Office (Editor)
Call Number: GP 1.2:IN 3/2
ISBN: 9780160887048
Publication Date: 2011-06-17
For 150 years, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has produced the digital documents of democracy crucial to an informed citizenry. Keeping America Informed: the U.S. Government Printing Office, 150 Years of Service to the Nation, published to mark GPO's 150th anniversary as a Federal agency, tells the story of this unique organization through a readable and concise narrative and numerous historic photographs, many of them never before published. This handsome new volume provides a panoramic view of GPO, which opened its doors for business on March 4, 1861, as Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States. After a description of the previous history of "publick printing" and the founding of GPO, Keeping America Informed covers the agency's physical and technological growth in the Gilded Age, its reform during the Progressive Era, and its crucial role in supporting the Government's efforts to grapple with the Great Depression and two world wars. Post-World War II, the book describes GPO's transition from traditional printing to the digital technology of today. It also highlights the hugely significant role the agency has played in the dissemination of federal Government information through its publications sales and Federal depository library programs. Much of the information in Keeping America Informed is new, the product of the latest research into GPO's history. Above all, its authoritative text and unique images depict the enormous contribution of its employees, past and present, to the well-being of the American people and nation.
GPO in 2023 : keeping America informed in a post-print world : hearing before the Committee on House Administration, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, first session, held in Washington, DC, December 4, 2013.
Call Number: Y 4.H 81/3:AM 3
Publication Date: 2013

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government
Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government, a service of the Government Publishing Office (GPO), is designed to inform students, parents, and educators about the Federal Government, which issues the publications and information products disseminated by the GPO’s Federal Depository Library Program.
FDLP Basic Collection
FDLP Basic Collection with Superintendent of Documents classification numbers, item numbers, and OCLC catalog record numbers

List of Classes of the United States Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries (Print Version) Revised 11-2015
U.S. Government Publications available for distribution to federal depository libraries.

U.S. Government Bookstore
The United States Government Publishing Office (GPO) bookstore

US Documents Collection: Finding Aids

Finding aids to help locate US Documents holdings at the New Jersey State Library

U.S. Documents, New Jersey State Library
This flyer provides information about the New Jersey State Library's U.S. Documents Collection
US Documents Collection Overview: NJSL
An overview of the New Jersey State Library's US Documents Collection.
Guide to SuDoc Classification
This guide explains the classification system used for cataloging and locating US Documents at the New Jersey State Library.
Location Guide: Decennial Census, New Jersey State Library
Location guide for tangible holdings of the U.S. Decennial Census at the New Jersey State Library
CGP, Catalog of U.S. Government Publications User Guide
The finding tool for U.S. Government documents, providing descriptive records for historical and current publications and direct online links to Federal Government information.

New Titles

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications NEW TITLES
The New Titles page is an easy way to find all the latest documents added to the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP). It provides access to new documents in many different formats, such as print documents, electronic documents, or eBooks. It also provides information on documents that are still in-process. Users can look for documents in a particular range of time by clicking on specific timeframes, such as Last Seven Days or Last Three Months.

Research Databases

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) This link opens in a new window
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Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

Congress.gov This link opens in a new window
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*Explore a Bill (video)
*Create and Use Congress.gov Email Alerts (video)
ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
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CQ Congress Collection This link opens in a new window
CQ Press Electronic Library This link opens in a new window
CQ Voting and Elections Collection This link opens in a new window

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) collections are among the largest and most heavily used in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Since 2000, documentation from the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) has been added to the holdings. The collections document achievements in architecture, engineering, and landscape design in the United States and its territories through a comprehensive range of building types, engineering technologies, and landscapes.
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HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
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Training guides and video tutorials are available.

CQ Magazine This link opens in a new window
CRS Reports This link opens in a new window
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The Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides accurate, non-partisan policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate.
United States Government Manual This link opens in a new window
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United States Government Manual Website Regularly updated database

USA.gov This link opens in a new window USA.gov is the official online guide to government information and services.
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Discovery

Discovery Service for the NJ State Library

You can start your research using the Discovery Service - this service is an easy way to search in almost all of the NJ State Library's content at once. Searching here will look in the library catalog, many databases, journals, magazines, government documents and institutional repositories.

Enter the title of a document to find out if it is available in one of the online databases or the NJ State Library's catalog.

Please note that remote access to online journal content is restricted to State Library authorized users: NJ state employees and, unless otherwise noted, Thomas Edison staff and students. Authorized users needing a State Library access card, should complete the appropriate online borrower registration form

FDLP LibGuides

FDLP LibGuides
The U.S. Government Publishing Office’s (GPO’s) new FDLP LibGuides page is now available to all Federal depository libraries. The ongoing FDLP LibGuides pilot project is entering into a new phase that includes a one-year evaluation to find out if the page will be popular with the FDL community. The page will include GPO-created guides, community-created guides, and will allow FDLs to submit subject requests for guides that they need.