City and State Documents
University and state libraries may have research guides for state government publications.
State Legislative History Research Guides Inventory (Indiana University)'
State yellow book, 1989-
which continues:
State information book, 1975-1987
Tapping state government information sources, Lori L. Smith et al. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2003, 477 p.
HOLLIS Record
Internet Archive Full Text
State reference sources, by Peter Hernon, Government Publications Review, Vol. IA, pp. 47-83, 1980
Online version
--State by state overview of reference sources on state documents
State document checklists : a historical bibliography, by Susan L. Dow. 2nd ed. Buffalo, N.Y. : William S. Hein & Co., 2000, 279 p.
HOLLIS Record
Internet Archive Full Text
State government reference publications : an annotated bibliography, by David W. Parish. 2nd ed. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1981, 355 p.
HOLLIS Record
Internet Archive Full Text
Government organization manuals: a bibliography, by Vladimir M. Palic. Washington : Library of Congress, 1975, 105 p.
HathiTrust version
--Lists government manuals and directories worldwide'
State Blue Books and Encyclopedias
Lists many digitized historical blue books as well as current
Index of economic material in documents of the states of the United States. [various dates, 1787-1904], by Adelaide R. Hasse. Washington: Carnegie institution of Washington, 1907 (Carnegie Institution of Washington publication 85).
Find paper copies in HOLLIS by searching: "Index of economic material in documents" (in "")
HathiTrust online version. Search the phrase (in “”) “Index of economic material in documents of the states of the United States” in Catalog search.
--California - Delaware - Illinois - Kentucky - Maine - Massachusetts - New Hampshire - New Jersey - New York - Ohio - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - Vermont.
--This valuable source covers many topics beyond economics.
Look for specialized subject bibliographies in the HOLLIS Catalog: Search, for example, <"government publications" Chicago bibliography> as a Subject Keyword search.. The term Bibliography MUST be searched as a Subject keyword: Change Limit to: anywhere to Limit to: subject.
Books describing state documents can be useful. Search in HOLLIS/WorldCat: State government publications -- United States -- Bibliography.'
State names can be searched as Author keyword, but this usually retrieves too many publications of NGOs, learned societies and other entities. You can do a keyword search on state or city plus department name, by searching likely department name terms and finding the proper name
For a small city or town a keyword search on the name may not produce too many records to go through individually. But usually you will need to limit your search.
In HOLLIS, choose the option to “Starts with/Browse” and then choose “By author” from the dropdown menu on the left and type in your state or your city (Fall River Mass). Use the proper state abbreviations). This allows you to browse through the various departments.
Many of Harvard's state documents can be searched in HOLLIS by entering: Code: Local call number: statedocuments*.
The overlapping lists in these four websites provide access to local digital collections:
- State Digital Resources: Memory Projects, Online Encyclopedias, Historical & Cultural Materials Collections
- Digital Libraries by State or Region
- 250+ Killer Digital Libraries and Archives
HathiTrust Digital Library. Each full text item is linked to a standard library catalog record, thus providing good metadata and subject terms. The catalog can be searched separately. Although most post-1923 items are not full text viewable, many government documents are full text viewable. Search the city or state name as Author. For city names add the proper state abbreviation (Chicago, Ill).
The Internet Archive contains many full text state and city documents. Search Creator: state name, teh narrow by date and topic on the left.
LLMC Digital
Go to Online Services, then Browse Collections. A rich source of legislative and judicial documents
State Agency Databases Project
Laws, Legislative Materials, and Legal Issues Sources in State Agency Databases
Local university and city libraries may have research guides for city government publications. Go to local library websites and look for Research Guides
Examples:
New York City Documents
Baltimore
Chicago Research Guide: Primary Sources/Stats
Chicago Government Information
Reference and Statistics
City-Data. Largely post-1990s information.
The Municipal year book, 1934- . Washington: International City Management Association.
HOLLIS Record
Internet Archive Full Text
Municipal year book, 1902 giving the population, assessed valuation, principal officials, & ownership of public utilities also information regarding the water supply, sewerage, street cleaning, street sprinkling, garbage, fire & underground electric service in all incorporated places in the United States, & in all New England towns of 3,000 population & upwards by the census of 1900 ... , ed. by M.N. Baker. NY: The Engineering News Publishing Company.
HathiTrust Full Text
County and city data book. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1947- .
Latest edition in Reference; backfile in stacks. Includes number and % of work force in manufacturing
HOLLIS Record -- Online version -- Online version -- 2007 and 2000 ed.
Cities supplement, Statistical abstract of the United States: selected data for cities having 25,000 or more inhabitants in 1940. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1944, 47 p.
HOLLIS record
City names can be searched as Author keyword, but this usually retrieves too many publications of NGOs, learned societies and other entities. You can do a keyword search on state or city plus department name, by searching likely department name terms and finding the proper name
For a small city or town a keyword search on the name may not produce too many records to go through individually. But usually you will need to limit your search.
In HOLLIS, choose the option to “Starts with/Browse” and then choose “By author” from the dropdown menu on the left and type in your city (Fall River Mass). Use the proper state abbreviations). This allows you to browse through the various departments.
The vast Loeb Design Library pamphlet collection (roughly 1930s-2008) includes many city documents. Find with HOLLIS Library Catalog Advanced Search searches of the form:
Code: Library + Collection: desvf
AND
Author contains: Chicago
The overlapping lists in these four websites provide access to local digital collections:
- State Digital Resources: Memory Projects, Online Encyclopedias, Historical & Cultural Materials Collections
- Digital Libraries by State or Region
- 250+ Killer Digital Libraries and Archives
In Hathitrust catalog search you can search keywords: police report, and Limit To: Full view only. On the left side of the Results page, you can limit to Place of Publication: United States. Be careful with date limitations. If you want a report for 1950, the report series may have started in, say, 1923, and 1923 will be the date on the HathiTrust record.
The Internet Archive contains many full text state and city documents. Search Creator: state name, teh narrow by date and topic on the left.
City documents not at Harvard can be requested via Interlibrary Loan. Often the best source is the local state or city library catalog. Finding city documents not at Harvard can be complicated, so ask me if this comes up.
Annual report. Boston (Mass). Police Department. 1st- ; 1906- . FindIt@Harvard
Annual report of the Board of Police for the City of Boston, 1884-1906. FindIt@Harvard
Boston Police Department Reports (1885-2005)
Annual report of the Police Department of the City of New York, Statistical Reports, complaints and arrests, and other sources available at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
In Hathitrust catalog search you can search keywords: police report, and Limit To: Full view only. On the left side of the Results page, you can limit to Place of Publication: United States. Be careful with date limitations. If you want a report for 1950, the report series may have started in, say, 1923, and 1923 will be the date on the HathiTrust record.
Publications of many police departments can be found in HOLLIS or WorldCat by searching in HOLLIS on Police Periodicals as a Subject keyword search and adding the name of your city/state of interest.