Congressional Research Resources: the US Congressional Serial Set
The United States Congressional Serial Set now numbers over 14,000 volumes. As a publication series it has two major components. The American State Papers (ASP) encompasses the timeframe 1789-1838. The Serial Set proper begins in 1817 and continues today. The American State Papers is arranged by ten major subject areas, while the Serial Set is arranged chronologically. The CSU library owns both the American State Papers and the Serial Set from 1817 through the 95th Congress, second session (1978). The vast majority of volumes are in storage. The library also has access to a full text database as described below, under the link for Readex.Two major categories of publications are included in the American State Papers and the Serial Set. "Documents" are publications issued by executive branch agencies. Particularly before 1900 a great many significant executive agency publications were included in the Serial Set. "Reports" are publications issued by Congress itself. Hearings, committee prints, and debates are not included in the American State Papers or the Serial Set. A detailed discussion of the Serial Set can be found at An Overview of the US Congressional Serial Set (LLSDC). Two other explanatory resources are the US Congressional Serial Set (through the Government Printing Office), and a site that provides a Finding List for publications of federal agencies other than Congress found in the Serial Set.
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US Congressional Serial Set (Readex) [CSU users only]
Searchable full text from 1817 forward, with completion for 1789-1980 scheduled for 2009. Includes graphics such as illustrations and maps. -
LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional [CSU users only]
Path: Advanced Search/Serial Set. In addition to other bibliographic details, this database provides the serial set volume number necessary for retrieval of documents and reports from storage. Indexing access points are generally relatively few. Searching by subject often retrieves a satisfactory number of entries, but searching for known items may require bibliographic details found elsewhere, sometimes including Sage. NOTE: this database also indexes hearings and committee prints, but these publications are not part of the Serial Set. They receive Superintendent of Documents call numbers and are shelved accordingly. Congressional Research Resources: Congressional Publications provides details.
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American State Papers (Readex) [CSU users only]
Full text access for 1789-1838. Arrangement is not chronological per se but rather by ten major subject areas. - American State
Papers (Library of Congress)
Browsable full text for 1789-1838. - Public Documents of the First Fourteen Congresses,
1789-1817
Y1.1/2:Serial 3879 Doc Ref
This compilation, done in 1900 by A.W. Greely, lists publications by Congress, in chronological order with a name index. - Congressional Serial Set
Catalog
Click on "Advanced Search," then "Congressional Serial Set." Includes bibliographic information and some full text documents from the 95th Congress (1977-1978) to the present. - US Serial Set
(Library of Congress)
Browsable selective full text for 1833-1917. - Schedule of Volumes to
the US Congressional Serial Set (LLSDC)
This web site links document and report numbers with Serial Set volume numbers. For retrieval from storage of Serial Set documents and reports for 1970 through 1978, it is necessary to use this site to identify the appropriate volume number(s).
Accessing the Serial Set (print version):
For the time frame 1789-1917, first try LEXIS-NEXIS Congressional, then apply information retrieved there to the Library of Congress
web sites for the American State Papers and the US Serial Set.
If the full text cannot be retrieved by that route, retrieve the appropriate
volume(s) from storage using the volume number(s), found in LEXIS-NEXIS
Congressional Historical 1789-1969. Use a manual request form,
available at the library Loan/Reserve Desk. No call number is necessary.
For retrieval of House and Senate Reports and House and Senate Documents for 1978 to the present, consult the instructions at Congressional Research Resources: Congressional Publications.
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