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collections: government documents -- federal executive departments and agencies.

Depository Collections of Executive Documents

The UNO Library has been a selective federal depository since 1939, and during most years it has received about one-half of the documents distributed to libraries by the Executive departments and agencies. The strongest areas are:

  • Agriculture
  • Commerce (especially Bureau of the Census)
  • Defense
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Health and Human Services
  • Interior
  • Justice
  • Labor
  • State

Researchers may use the Library Catalog to identify Executive department and agency documents received since 1976. The government documents staff continues to catalog older documents, but researchers may also want to consult the Monthly Catalog of United States Publications, which serves as the primary index to federal documents published between 1895 and 1995. The Monthly Catalog is shelved in the 2nd Floor Indexes area at Z1223 .A18. A computerized version extending back to 1976 is also available through the First Search database service.

Microfiche Archives of Executive Documents

In 1911 the U.S. Government Printing Office published the Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1789-1909, a monumental reference work listing federal documents published between the 1st Congress and the 60th Congress. Commonly called the 1909 Checklist, it remains the standard guide to federal documents issued during the nation's first 120 years. Researchers may find a copy of the 1909 Checklist in the 2nd floor Indexes area at Z1223 .A113.

The Congressional Information Service (CIS) published a microfiche archive of the 110,000 documents listed in the 1909 Checklist which were not reproduced as part of the Congressional Serial Set. While looking for documents, the editors discovered that in some cases they were using the only copy known to exist. In addition, they found documents that had not been included in the original checklist. When the UNO Library purchased the United States Executive Documents, 1789-1909 microfiche archive, it acquired a major collection containing many documents which were in danger of being lost forever.

Indexes to the United States Executive Documents, 1789-1909 microfiche archive are shelved in the main floor indexes area at J69 .C53. There is no computerized indexing to this collection.

CIS also published the United States Executive Documents, 1910-1932 microfiche archive, which adheres to the high and comprehensive standard of the 1789-1909 collection. Indexes to the United States Executive Documents, 1910-1932 are shelved in the 2nd floor Indexes area at J69 .C53. No computerized index has been compiled for this collection.

James T. Shaw
Government Documents Librarian
September 2005