Federal Documents

Access and Circulation

The State Library is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the federal document collection is located on the second level of the State Library in open shelves. Photocopies are available for patrons to use for $.10 a page.

Documents are arranged by Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDoc) number. To help search for documents in the State Library's collection, the State Library of Kansas Catalog can be accessed from the public computers.

Not all federal documents can be checked out, but those that can circulate are available to the general public for a three-week loan period.  For non-Topeka residents, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) of our government documents is available through your local library.

Many documents are available as an electronic resource and can be found by searching in our catalog, the Catalog of US Government Publications, or on GovInfo.gov.

The Three Branches of the U.S. Government

General Information

• Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government: Follow along with Ben as he shows you how the U.S. Government works. Great for ages 4+.
• The Constitution of the United States of America: Annotated
• GovInfo: Find documents from all 3 branches of government.
  • Video Tutorials for GovInfo: these videos will teach you what's available, how to search, and more.
• United States Government Manual: The official handbook of the Federal Government. Provides information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. 

Executive Branch

• The White House: Learn more about the current administration, our country’s former presidents, and the official residence.
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
• Compilation of Presidential Documents: The Compilation of Presidential Documents collection consists of the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents which are the official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary.
• Presidential Libraries: The National Archive provides information about former presidents through the Presidential Library and Museum program.

Judicial Branch

• U.S. Federal Court System
• The U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Reports: Reports and opinions from the Supreme Court.

Legislative Branch

• Congress: This is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
  • House of Representatives
  • Senate
• Congressional Directory
• Congressional Record: The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873 and is still published today.
• United States Code: The consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. 

Career Info

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• CareerOneStop: Your source for career exploration, training & jobs.
• USAJobs.gov Serves as the central place to find opportunities in hundreds of federal agencies and organizations.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Created in 1953, the SBA continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream.

Census and Statistics

• Census.gov: Main page for the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Decennial Census of Population and Housing: The U.S. census counts each resident of the country, where they live on April 1, every ten years ending in zero. 
  • Fourteenth Census of the United States-State Compendium Kansas: Statistics of population, occupations, agriculture, irrigation, drainage, manufactures, and mines and quarries for the state, counties and cities, © 1924.
  • 1950s Census: National Archives' link to browse census records.
    • Training on 1950 Census: This presentation provides an overview of what is and is not included in the 1950 census, what you can expect from NARA’s 1950 census website, and resources that can help librarians answer patron questions about the census.
• American Community Survey (ACS): The ACS helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed population and housing information about our nation.
• Economic Census: The Economic Census is the official five-year measure of American businesses providing comprehensive statistics at the national, state, and local levels. It serves as the benchmark for current economic activity, such as the Gross Domestic Product and Producer Price Index.
• Census of Agriculture: The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Current Events

• Drought: United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) page regarding resources and information related to drought
• U.S. Drought Monitor: The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  It provides weekly updates to U.S. drought conditions down to county level. 
• Ready.gov: Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to promote preparedness through public involvement in English and Spanish versions.