• Mission Statement
• Service and Circulation Policies
• Government Information Portals
• Locating/Obtaining Federal Publications
• Online Reference Sources
• Executive Department Web Sites
• Congressional Materials
• Judicial Web Sites
• Other Items of Interest

The Government Documents Department of the Law Library, located in the Sixth Congressional District, was designated a federal depository in 1929. The primary mission of the department is to support the general collection activities of the Law Library, which serves to support the research and teaching programs of the Law Center and to prepare for future needs. The secondary and general purpose of the Law Library is to meet the current needs of the Law Center faculty, staff and students; the Louisiana legal community; and the Louisiana State University community for legal and legally-related information. In accordance with the requirements defined in the 'Instructions to Depository Libraries,' 'Guidelines for the Depository Library System,' and the 'Federal Depository Library Manual,' this Department also strives to serve the government information needs of the constituents of the Sixth U.S. Congressional District.

• Community Analysis
  The Sixth Congressional District, as established by Act 96 of the First Extraordinary Session of 1996 of the Louisiana State Legislature, is composed of a portion of the parish of Ascension and of the entire parishes of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

According to information supplied by the Census Bureau, the district has a population of 683,536. Of these, 434,637 are Caucasian and 229,356 are African American, with only 3,979 persons of other races. The vast majority of the Law Library's user community comes from within East Baton Rouge Parish, which, according to the 2000 Census data, is 56% white and 40% black, with a Native American/Asian population of less than 3%. Over 80% of the parish population has a high school education or higher, 31% has a bachelor's degree, and the median income is $37,224 per year. The primary clientele of the Documents Department is the faculty, staff, and students of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. The Department collects approximately 16% of the publications offered through the depository program with the primary purpose of supporting the curricula of the Law Center. This Library acquires 99% of the suggested core collection for law libraries as set out in the Federal Depository Library Manual, revised November 1993, Appendix A. Any selections made beyond that core collection are done in accordance with the guidelines of the Law Library Selection and Acquisition Policies.

The Government Documents Department service policy follows that of the Law Library Reference Desk. The Government Documents Department is under the supervision of the Government Documents Librarian. The Department is staffed 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional assistance via the Reference Desk at night and on weekends during the Fall and Spring semesters. Both telephone and walk-in questions are answered.

All government documents are available for public use in the library. Paper publications circulate according the Law Library's general circulation policy. Publications on microfiche will be duplicated using a fiche-to-fiche duplicator or copied in part using the Department's microfiche reader-printer. Publications on compact disk are available for use in the Library.

GPO Access
GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted. This free service is funded by the Federal Depository Library Program
USA.Gov
A search portal for federal government information.

Catalog of U. S. Government Publications
How to buy government publications. A search and retrieval service that provides bibliographic records of U.S. Government information products. It also links to federal agency online resources and identifies materials distributed to Federal Depository Libraries. Coverage begins with January 1994 and new records are added daily.
U.S. Government Online Bookstore
The Government Printing Office's online bookstore.
GPO Browse Topics
Distributed in print as Subject Bibliographies. Print version in the Government Documents Department, current only. GP 3.22/2: How to find government publications, by topic.

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids
Ben's Guide serves as the educational component of GPO Access, GPO's service to provide the official online version of legislative and regulatory information.
United States Government Manual (1997/98- ), comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, as well as quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the U.S. participates, and boards, commissions, and committees.
Print editions in the Government Documents Department, DATES. GS 4.109:

Executive Branch Resources on GPO Access, Executive Department databases and gateway to Executive Department web sites.
Federal Agency Directory (LSU Libraries)
Regulations.gov, the U.S. Government web site designed to foster citizen participation in Federal rulemaking. Citizens can find, review, and submit comments on Federal documents that are open for comment and published in the Federal Register.
Regulatory Resources on GPO Access
Administrative Decisions & Other Actions
Code of Federal Regulations
Location of print version in the Law Library:

• 2nd Floor Federal Materials
• 4th Floor Government Documents Department
  Historical editions, 1938-:
• 4th Floor Government Documents Department Microforms.

• 2nd Floor Federal Materials
• 4th Floor Government Documents Department

Budget of the United States Government, includes budget documents from 1997 forward.
Print version in the Government Documents Department at PREX 2.8:
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (1993- ), speeches, press releases, news conferences, etc.
Print version in the Government Documents Department, at GS 4.114:
Public Papers of the President, speeches, press releases, news conferences from 1991 forward.
Print version in the Government Documents Department (1930, 1945- ) at S 4.113:

Congressional Information Sites
Thomas, the Library Congress' portal to Congressional information sources.
Legislative Branch Resources on GPO Access

Congressional Online Reference Sources
Congressional Directory, 104th Congress forward
U.S. Congressional Serial Set-What It Is and Its History
The Work of Congress:

• House: How Our Laws Are Made
• Senate: Enactment of Law

Laws
Congressional Bills, 103rd Congress forward.
Location of microform version in Law Library 4th Floor Government Documents Department Microform cabinets:

• Y 1.4/1: Senate bills
• Y 1.4/2: Senate Resolutions
• Y 1.4/3: Senate Joint Resolutions
• Y 1.4/5: Senate Concurrent Resolutions
• Y 1.4/6: House bills
• Y 1.4/7: House Joint Resolutions
• Y 1.4/8: House Concurrent Resolutions.

History of Bills, 1983 forward.
Public and Private Laws, slip laws or advance copies of Public and Private laws passed by Congress.
Print version located in the Law Library 2nd Floor Federal Collection.
Statutes at Large, session laws of Congress.
Print version located in the Law Library 2nd Floor Federal Collection.
Authenticated Public and Private Laws, beta site includes current (110th) Congress.
United States Code, codified version of the positive law of the United States, 1994 forward plus supplements.
Print version located in the Law Library 2nd Floor Federal Collection. Previous editions of the Code located in the Government Documents Dept., Range 4-26A.
The Constitution of the United States (current annotated edition with supplements)
Print version located in the Law Library Reserve Room, KF 4527 .K55.

Committee Reports
What are Congressional reports? They are reports of Congressional Committees concerning proposed legislation and/or contain findings on matters under investigation.

• Senate Reports Y 1.1/5:
• Senate Executive Reports Y 1.1/6:
• House Reports Y 1.1/8:

For American State Papers and very early reports, see Documents Librarian.

Congressional Documents
What are Congressional Documents? These are various materials ordered to be printed by both Houses of Congress. Documents can include reports of Executive Departments and Agencies, some of which are submitted in accordance with Federal law, then later are ordered printed as Documents.

Congressional Documents (Senate, House and Treaty Documents), 104th Congress forward.
See Serial Set, 4th Floor Government Documents Dept. Ranges 4-29/4-30.
Post 1982 reports:See Serial Set, 4th Floor Government Documents Dept. Microform cabinets:

• House Documents Y 1.1/7:
• Senate Documents Y 1.1/3:
• Senate Executive Documents Y 1.1/4:

For American State Papers and very early documents see Documents Librarian.

Congressional Prints
What are Congressional Prints? Committee prints are prepared by a staff of legal and research assistants established to help congressional committees obtain highly specialized information to aid in their deliberations.
Congressional Committee Prints, 105th Congress forward.
For microform edition (House, 1949; Senate, 1951), see Documents Librarian.
House Ways and Means Committee Prints, 104th Congress forward.

Congressional Debates
Congressional Record, 1994 forward.
Congressional Record Index, 1983 forward.
Bound print edition (scattered editions through 1979) of Congressional Record, 4th Floor Government Documents Dept. Ranges 4-27.
See also 4th Floor Government Documents Dept. Microform cabinets, X 1.1:, for Bound Congressional Record and its predecessors.
For daily (softbound) edition (since 1980), 4th Floor Government Documents Dept. Ranges 4-28.

U.S. Courts: The Federal Judiciary, gateway to the federal judiciary.
Judicial Branch Resources on GPO Access
Supreme Court of the United State Opinions (2000- )
U.S. Supreme Court Opinions Archive (1992-2000)
United States Reports (v.502- )
Location in print, 2nd Floor Federal Material.
Location in microform, 4th Floor Government Documents Department Microform, Ju 6.8:

Government Grants
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Access to a database of all Federal grant programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.
Print version in the Government Documents Department at PREX 2.20:

Health
Social Security Handbook
Print version in the Government Documents Department at SSA 1.8/3:

Statistics
Statistical Abstract of the United States, compendium of statistics on social and economic conditions in the U.S.
Location of print editions: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, C 3.134:
American FactFinder, Census Bureau source for population, housing, economic and geographic data. U.S. Bureau of Census's interface for distributing the 1990 and 2000 Census of Population & Housing, the 1997 Economic Census, and the American Community Survey. This site is the primary source for the 2000 Census data.
STAT-USA, historical and current economic data. Available only from Law Library computers. Password available through PAWS.
Census 2000
Location of print materials: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, C 3.223/(nos.)
County and City Data Book, statistics for all U.S. counties, cities with 25,000 or more inhabitants, and places of 2,500 or more inhabitants
Location of print editions: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, C 3.134/2:C 82/2/date.
USA Counties, census data for all counties.
State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, statistics on social and economic conditions at the state and metro area levels. Selected data for component counties and central cities of metro areas also included.
Location of print editions: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, C 3.134/5:
Historical Statistics of the United States, from Colonial Times to 1970
Location of print edition: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, C 3.134/2:H 62/970.
Economic Indicators (1995-), prepared and published monthly for the Joint Economic Committee, by the Council of Economic Advisers.
Location of print issues: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, Y 4.EC 7:EC 7
Economic Report of the President (1995- ), includes current and foreseeable trends and annual numerical goals concerning topics such as employment, production, etc.
Location of print issues: Government Documents Dept., 4th Floor, PR 40.9: (1982-)