Government Resources

This library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents. Public access to the Government documents collection is guaranteed by public law. (Title 44, Ch.19, United States Code)

The Benedictine College Library is one of seventeen Congressionally designated selective Federal Depository Libraries in the state of Kansas. The Kansas regional depository is at the University of Kansas Anschutz Library.

Although our print Government Documents Collection is unavailable during new library construction, print documents may be requested through interlibrary loan. Many government documents are freely available electronically through our Benedictine Catalog, the Catalog of Government Publications, GovInfo, and other resources below. For additional assistance finding government information, direct questions to Ask a Librarian.

The documents collection includes current and historical resources for a broad range of subject areas, including the arts, business, education, health, military science, science, and technology.

Key Resources for Identifying and Accessing Documents

Benedictine Catalog – Many electronic government documents have been catalogued for easy direct access through the online catalog.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications – Online catalog for federal publications, both historic and current, with direct links to those available online. Updated daily!
GovInfo – A service of the Government Publishing Office providing free public access to official publications from all three branches of the U.S. federal government
Cornerstone Documents and Other Resources – Online access to our nation’s cornerstone documents and resources from the three branches of U.S. federal government
Federal Depository Library Program Basic Collection – Core U.S. government resources
U.S. Congressional Serial Set Collection – Senate and House Documents and Reports from the 15th Congress (1817-1819) through the 103rd Congress (1993-1994) – Contents vary by time period.
United States Government Manual – Leadership, agencies, and programs of the three branches of federal government
HathiTrust U.S. Federal Documents – Access to historical U.S. government information which may not be digitally available through GPO or agency websites
Featured Sites: America 250 – Looking toward the commemoration and celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – America’s semiquincentennial July 4, 2026
Declaration250 – The National Archives commemorates and celebrates Declaration250

Search Engines and Repositories

DiscoverGov – New discovery tool from the Government Publishing Office
MetaLib – Searches multiple government databases simultaneously (sunsets summer 2025)
Science.gov – Gateway to U.S. Federal Science
Smithsonian DSpace Repository – Digital resource collections from the Smithsonian Institution
USA.gov – Official portal for U.S. government information, including an A to Z index of federal agencies