Government Documents: Serial Set/American State Papers

The American State Papers is a 38 volume set containing Congressional documents from 1789 - 1838. The collection fills the historical gap from 1789 to the printing of the first volume of the United States Congressional Serial Set in 1817.

The United States Congressional Serial Set (1817-present) is comprised of the numbered Senate and House Documents and Senate and House Reports that are bound by session of Congress and given a consecutive number. Beginning in 1979, it also includes Senate Executive Documents and Senate Executive Reports.

With some gaps, the Law Library has Serial Set volumes 12542 - 14801 available in print and microfiche:

• 12542 (88th Congress, 1st session, 1963) - 13216 (95 Congress, 2d session, 1978) are available in paper at range L-18 on the lower level.
• 13220 (96th Congress, 1st session, 1979) - 14801 (107th Congress, 2d session, 2002) are available in microfiche in the cabinets against the west wall of the microform room on the lower level.

The Serial Set collection available through ProQuest's Congressional Publications database (see link below) includes PDF images of the American State Papers from 1789 - 1816 and the United States Congressional Serial Set from 1817 - 1969. Choose "Search by Number" under the Congressional Publications menu in the upper left, then publication search. Under the publication search menu you can search by serial set volume or the publication number. Use the Advanced Search option to search by date, session of Congress, and keyword. Even if the full text of the document you need is not available via ProQuest's Congressional Publications database, it will provide a SuDoc or Serial Set number that can be used to obtain the item at Drake or via interlibrary loan.

ProQuest's Congressional Publications database provides broad coverage of U.S. legislative information, including:

• Congressional Information Service (CIS) indexing and abstracting of congressional publications and CIS legislative histories
• indexing and select full text access for congressional publications from 1789 - 1969
• select hearing testimony transcripts from 1988 - present
• bill tracking
• public laws from 1988 - present