Government Document Indexes
Since the 19th century, various finding aids or indexes for U.S. Government information have been compiled by the U.S. Government Printing Office (previous agency name of the U.S. Government Publishing Office), other Federal agencies, or at the direction of Congress. These indexes allowed users to locate publications primarily by title, author, and/or subject.
Digitized versions of the principal indexes published by the U.S. Government Printing Office and Congress are listed below. Digital versions of the titles listed in the indexes may not be available through GovInfo. To access physical copies of titles listed in the finding aids, contact a Federal depository library
Browse Government Document Indexes
- Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, 1895-2004
Commonly referred to as the Monthly Catalog or MoCat. A listing of the publications produced by the U.S. Government Printing Office from 1895 to 2004.
- Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the United States, September 5, 1774 - March 4, 1881
Commonly referred to as Poore’s, after compiler Benjamin Perley Poore. Chronological listing of Congressional and departmental publications.
- Comprehensive index of the publications of the United States Government, 1889-1893
Compiled by John Griffith Ames. Expanded on in the Comprehensive Index of the Publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893.
- Comprehensive index of the publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893
Commonly referred to as Ames’, after compiler John Griffith Ames. Alphabetical subject listing of Congressional and departmental publications.
- Catalogue of United States Public Documents, 1893-1940
Commonly referred to as the Documents Catalog. Dictionary catalog of Congressional and departmental publications that served as the “comprehensive index” required by the Printing Act of 1895. Issued by Congresses, from the 53rd through 76th Congress. The Documents Catalog was discontinued in 1947, when the Joint Committee on Printing passed a resolution that the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications satisfied the requirement for a comprehensive index.
- Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1789-1909
Commonly referred to as the 1909 Checklist. An “approximately complete checklist of all publication documents issued by the United States Government” before 1909, based on the GPO Public Documents Library collection. Arranged according to the Superintendent of Documents classification scheme.
- Tables of and Annotated Index to the Congressional Series of United States Public Documents
Contents of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set from the 15th through the 52d Congress.
- Index to the Reports and Documents, 54th Congress (1895-1896)-72nd Congress (1932-1933)
Commonly referred to as the Documents Index, this publication is an alphabetical subject index to publications in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set. The Documents Index continued the Tables of and Annotated Index to the Congressional Series of United States Public Documents, and represents the “consolidated index” provided for in the Printing Act of 1895. Discontinued with the 72nd Congress, 2nd Session, but parts continued in the Numerical List.
- Numerical Lists and Schedule of Volumes of the Reports and Documents, 73d Congress (1933-1934)-96th Congress (1979-1980)
Commonly referred to as the Numerical List. Continues the numerical list of Congressional reports and documents and schedule of Serial Set numbers previously included in the Documents Index. Discontinued with the 96th Congress, 2nd Session, when it was issued as the Monthly Catalog – U.S. Congressional Serial Set Supplement.
- United States Congressional Serial Set Catalog, 98th Congress (1983-1984)-105th Congress (1997-1998)
Continues the Numerical List, after the single issue of the Monthly Catalog – U.S. Congressional Serial Set Supplement.