Documents produced by the government are a rich source of information for the history researcher. This page provides links to finding tools for state and federal documents -- including census information -- and explains what are federal depository libraries.
Don't know how to research government documents? See the Government Documents page on Dr. William Cronon's Learning Historical Research website for some good hints for locating these types of sources. To make the best use of your time you should know:
The Value of a Dollar 1600-1865 Colonial to Civil War 2005 by 
Gallup Poll Cumulative Index by 
Gallup Poll Cumulative Index by Governmental branches and agencies produce prodigious amounts of information and data. These resources are available to the public and may be found in print and, more recently, in digital format. Use our Government Documents research guide for more information.
The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its government’s information. The Government Printing Office administers the FDLP on behalf of the participating libraries and the public. Information products from the Federal Government are disseminated to these nationwide libraries that, in turn, ensure the American public has free access to the materials, both in print and online.
Perkins Library was designated a federal documents depository in 1944. The library currently receives -- in electronic format -- approximately 20% of the documents made available through the program. Documents can be searched and accessed through the online catalog while some print documents are located throughout the General Collection on the lower floor of the library.
