Government Documents Bowdoin College Library has been a Federal Government Documents Depository Library since 1884 but began collecting both Maine and U.S. government publications in the early 1800s. The Library's Government publications provide a wealth of primary source information for the study of American history. Some of the major historical series are listed below. For other historical government documents, please consult the Government Documents Librarian. These annual reports, produced by the Smithsonian, consist of lengthy essays on historical topics.
Access is by bibliographies and short indexes.
The title has changed over the years, but the Congressional Record remains a daily record of the debates taking place on the floor of Congress. In the 1st to the 31st Congress, the Government Printing Office published summaries of the debates and proceedings. From the 32nd to the present Congress, the GPO publishes full text of debates and proceedings. A compilation by the Census Bureau of demographic, social, and economic statistics describing the U.S. for nearly three centuries. A compilation of the messages and papers of the presidents.