Search Tips
As you search for something, you can better find it by asking the following questions. Each of these answers may help you determine what publication or collection will hold an answer and will indicate whether the material may be digitized.
Who created it?
- The House of Representatives? The Senate? A Committee? The President? An Agency?
What format was it created in?
- Is it a law? A rule? Remarks? Testimony? A Report? An Agency Publication?
When was it created?
- Before 1865? After 1976? After 1995? Is it currently being debated?
Consult the Legislative Process graphic to identify which collections and formats you should search.
Finding Materials Based on Year
Pre-1865 - Many founding documents for the U.S. have been digitized. See Digital Resources tab for more information.
Post-1976 - Materials will be cataloged in the USU Library Catalog and the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. Digital versions may be available in each catalog.
Post-1995 - Congressional and Executive Branch materials are available digitally on govinfo.gov.
2015-2020 - Recent materials are often best located on Congressional, Executive Branch, or Agency websites.
More items are being digitized all the time. These ranges are not all inclusive and more may be available. See resource descriptions for exact range.
