Government Documents
The Amherst College Library has been a depository for United States government publications since 1884. We select about 31% of all available titles. In exchange for receiving this material free from the Government Printing Office, we agree to make it freely available to all patrons, as well as to organize and maintain it. This is a large, complex and historically rich collection. Many of the titles (such as United States Congressional hearings) are not individually cataloged. Please contact the Reference/Information Desk with questions.
The collection is particularly strong in the following areas: Arms Control and Disarmament, National Archives, Commerce Department (in particular the Census Bureau -- including bound volumes), Civil Rights Commission, Interior Department (including U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps), Labor Department, and National Science Foundation. The Library also has primary legal sources such as the U.S. Code, the Supreme Court Reports, Presidential documents and Congressional publications.
Increasingly the Government Printing Office is making information available electronically in a variety of formats. Amherst College Library has access to many government documents including the via the Internet through GPO Access. Material is available fulltext within 24 hours and can be viewed or downloaded. Additionally, the Library has numerous government CD-ROMS including data from the 1990 Census and the National Trade Database. For assistance with any of this material, ask at the Reference/Information Desk.
Government Documents on the Internet
- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
- GPO Access: Keeping America Informed Electronically Provides full text of Federal Register, Congressional Record, Congressional Bills, GAO Reports, etc.
- GPO Monthly Catalog
- Government Databases by Subject
- Frequently Used Sites Related to U.S. Federal Government Information (GODORT)
- FedWorld
- White House
- Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
- U.S. Census: Main Data Bank
- Current Population Reports and Other Population Reports Index
- MAGNET: Massachusetts Access to Government Information
- Foreign Government Documents
- FDLP Administration
Send comments to Susan Edwards (seedwards)