Government Documents

Government Documents are federal and state government information that is available to the public. Government documents come in a variety of formats from books to pamphlets, and cover a wide array of topics and may be used for research purposes in almost any discipline.

Pearsall Library's paper government document collection includes maps, educational resources, health and human services materials, environmental science information, legislative documents, statistics, and much more.  These documents are available in the library catalog, under the Collection names "US Gov Documents" and "NC Documents."  Ask a librarian for help finding these items on the shelves.

Most government publications are now available via the World Wide Web.  Some key sites for finding government information are listed below.

Government Document Sites

North Carolina State Publications Collection: A searchable database of North Carolina information.

Occupational Outlook Handbook: Easy-to-read information about jobs and employment.

U.S. Census: Population statistics and a huge amount of economic information.

Energy Information Administration: Statistics and data on oil, gas, renewable, nuclear, and other kinds of energy.

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Economic statistics from a variety of sources.

THOMAS:  Legislation including bills, laws, acts, and the work of Congress.

Government Document Gateway Sites

GPO Access: The primary gateway for many government documents including federal budgets, hearings, presidential documents, congressional bills, and Supreme Court decisions, among others.

Federal Documents By Subject: Find information about a huge variety of subjects, organized by subject by the University of Colorado Libraries.

FedStats.gov: The official portal to statistics and data from all aspects of the U.S. government.

Core Documents of U.S. Democracy: Includes Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and other such documents.

Code of Federal Regulations: The rules that govern federal agencies.

Federal Register: The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposals, presidential documents, and executive orders.

Government Periodicals: The government publishes magazines, reviews, and journals on topics, from agriculture to labor to energy research.  The complete directory can be found here.

Public Laws: This database is a collection of public laws enacted by Congress from 1995 to the present.