Government Documents and Information: Popular Online Resources

Cornerstone documents of our Democracy and other useful government sites and resources.

100 Milestone Documents of  American History

If you're not finding what you're looking for on this guide, feel free to Google it! As a good rule of thumb stick with government or military sites and you can find great resources online through the U.S. government. These sites will generally avoid bias, contain no ads, and update regularly.

The .gov and .mil site limiters have already been added for you, so simply type your search term(s) before of after the text in the Google search box.

If your search is still pulling up .com or .org results, try using Google's "Advanced Search" options.

USA.gov/mobile-apps -browse available mobile apps alphabetically by government agency.

All apps listed on the website are provided for free through the federal government.

• Library Homepage
• Library Catalog
• University Website

The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications 

Here's a Small Sampling of Government Resources Available through the Card Catalog:

• Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids - A great resource for learning or teaching about how our government works. It's primarily geared towards kids, but can be used for all ages. Links to online content. 
• Catalog of U.S. Government Publications - The finding tool for descriptive records for historic and current publications from the Government. Links to online content.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States - A statistical reference and guide to over 250 statistical publications and sources from government and private organizations. Print and online content available. 
• Congressional Record - The official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. Content is published daily when Congress is in session. FDsys contains Congressional record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. Attached to each record is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities. Print and online content for Congressional Records available through our Library.
• Print and Digital Federal Publications Catalog - The official U.S. Government Printing Office bookstore. Links to online content.
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States - This resource is compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Beginning in 1957, the Public Papers began after a recommendation by the National Historical Publications Commission established an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available to the public. Print and online content.
• U.S. Government Publishing Office - The GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies in digital and print formats. Links to GPO annual report and online GPO content. 

American FactFinder - American FactFinder provides access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas. The data in American FactFinder comes from several censuses and surveys.

Data.gov - Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government's open data initiative. Here you will find tools and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more.

FDsys - FDsys stands for the Federal Digital System of official U.S. government publications. FDsys is currently in the process of replacing the Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is the "Federal Government’s official, digital, secure resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government." This information storage and retrieval site allows for simple and advanced searching of authenticated, official, and up-to-date government information from all three branches.​ Includes the XML Bulk Data Repository.

The 50 State Capitol Buildings of the United States Illustrated to Scale - "Much like the United States Capitol, known as the White House, each state's government has its own government which is headquartered in a state capitol building. This building, and the government housed within, is limited to dealing with matters relevant to the state and coordinating with the federal government. The state capitol address is usually located within the capital city of that state." Taken from Alan's Factory Outlet website.

Government Information Online: Ask a Librarian - Consult government information librarians who are experts at finding information from Federal Government agencies of all levels on almost any subject (GPO Partner- University of Illinois at Chicago).

Govinfo.gov - Discover U.S. Government information, hosted by the GPO. Also search what's available for help with specific collections or resources.

IRS.gov - This is the official online source for IRS tax forms, instructions, and publications. 

National Archives - Research the records of the National Archives and Records Administration

Science.gov - This site searches over 60 databases and over 2,200 selected websites from 15 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results. Science.gov is governed by the interagency Science.gov Alliance.

We also have several Library databases available to help make finding Government Documents and federally-funded research information easier. You can access any of these databases for free from our library, or anywhere else on campus if you are connected to the WVSU WiFi.

Academic One File (Gale) 

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) 

CQ Researcher 

ERIC (Education Resource Information Center)

EUR-Lex Access to European Union Law

Homeland Security Digital Library 

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States

If you're having trouble accessing any of these links, try accessing them again from our Library's Alphabetical Database List. Some databases allow you to link directly to their content, and others require a few more steps. If you're still having issues, Ask Us!

*If you're having trouble accessing content off campus, follow the steps in the Database Introduction and Off Campus Access tab on the Introduction the Library Resources guide.