Library Resources for Administrative History

• Library Resources for Administrative History
• Title/Name Index
• Date Index

Poore, Benjamin Perley, Compiler. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the United States, September 5, 1774-March 4, 1881. (48/2:S.misc.doc. 67 [Serial set 2268]). Washington: Government Printing Office; 1885. 1,392 p.

REF Serial Set 2268
Note: Cited as Poore’s. A chronological listing of both Congressional and departmental publications, but weaker in the latter. Incomplete and inconsistent, but an indispensable guide. Contains a subject and name index, which is incomplete and somewhat difficult to use. Reprinted in 1953 by Edwards, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Reprinted in 1962 by Johnson.
Boyd, p. 40-41; Morehead, p. 77; Schmeckebier, p. 6-11.

Greely, Adolphus W., Compiler. Public Documents of the First Fourteen Congresses, 1789-1817; Papers Relating to Early Congressional Documents. (56/1:S.doc. 428 [Serial set 3879]). Washington: Government Printing Office; 1900. 850 p.

REF GP 3.2:P 9612/Serial set 3879
Note: Cited as Greely. Chronologically arranged with many omissions. It has a name index but no subject index. A supplement appeared in the American Historical Association, Annual Report, 1903, v. 1, p. 343-406 [EI72.A6.1903.volume 1]. Reprinted in 1963 by Johnson, New York.
Boyd, p. 81; Morehead, p. 77-78; Schmeckebier, p. 30.

Ames, John Griffith. Comprehensive Index to the Publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893. 2d ed. (58/2:H.doc. 754 [Serial set 4745 [v.I]; 4746 Iv.2]]). Washington: Government Printing Office; 1905. 1,590 p.

REF Serial set 4745 (v. I)/REF Serial set 4746 (v. 2)
Note: Cited as Ames. An alphabetic subject listing of both Congressional and departmental publications, but weaker in the latter. Contains an index of personal names at the end of volume two. Them are three columns to the page: the first containing the author’s name or government body responsible for the publication; the second containing subject (title inverted) by which the alphabetization is made; the third giving reference to Congress, session, volume, and number of the series in which the document is found. Incomplete, but an indispensable guide. Reprinted in 1953 by Edwards, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Boyd, p. 41; Morehead, p. 78-79; Schmeckebier, p. 11-12.

Hickcox, John Howard. Hickcox's Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications with Superintendent of Documents Classification Numbers Added [United States government publications; a monthly catalogue.] Arlington, VA: Carrolton Press; 19777 10 volumes in 6 parts.

REF Z1223. Z7 U523\volumes 1-6/NAR-OCLC 4574531
Note: Cited as Hickcox’s Monthly Catalog. A reprint edition of John H. Hickcox’s United States Government Publications, a Monthly Catalogue with Superintendent of Documents Classification Numbers Added by Mary Elizabeth Poole.
Hickcox’s publication was a private venture and not published under the auspices of the Government. It was issued irregularly in monthly numbers making ten volumes from 1885 to 1894. It was discontinued when the Government began publication of the Monthly Catalog. The preface to the 1909 Checklist (p. xi) makes the statement that many publications issued during the decade from I885 to 1894 escaped the notice of Mr. Hickcox; still, it frequently happens that Hickcox’s Catalogue contains entries for publications not listed elsewhere. This catalogue may be relied on for general excellence. This privately published work was the precursor of the Superintendent of Document's Monthly Catalog.
[Reprint spine title: Hickcox’s Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications with Superintendent of Documents Classification Numbers Added. Title page: United States Government Publications; A Monthly Catalogue. Edited by J. H. Hickcox.] Volumes 1-10; January 1885-December 1894. Reprint of the serial published in Washington, DC 1885-88 by J.H. Hickcox; 1889-94 by W.H. Lowdermilk & Company.
Morehead, p. 80, 89n; Schmeckebier, p. 17n.

Kanely, Edna A., Compiler. Cumulative Index to Hickcox’s Monthly Catalog of the United States Government Publications, 1885-1894. Arlington, VA: Carrollton Press; 1981.3 volumes.

REF Z1223. Z7. U5232\volumes 1-3/NAR-OCLC 8021497
Note: Cited as index to Hickcox’s Monthly Catalog. The three volume set is an alphabetical cumulative subject index for the years 1885-1894 with selective individual author entries and references to facilitate quick identification and location of publications listed in the Hickcox catalog. The only categories of entries omitted are the names of persons who were beneficiaries of individual "relief" measures and "pensions".

U.S. Superintendent of Documents. Catalogue of the Public Documents of the 53d to 76th Congress and of All Departments of the Government of the United States for the Period from March 4, 1893, to December 31, 1940. Washington: Government Printing Office; 1896-1945. 25 volumes.

REF GP 3. 6:volumes 1-25
Note: Spine title: Documents Catalog. Cited as Documents Catalog. The "comprehensive index" provided for in the Printing Act of 1895. A dictionary catalog of congressional and departmental publications listed by author, subject, and title (if distinctive) with full bibliographical details, each volume covering a Congress. Provides Serial Set numbers but does not include SuDoc numbers. Publication suspended with volume 25. In 1947 the Joint Committee on Printing approved a resolution eliminating the publication of the Documents Catalog on the grounds that the Monthly Catalog with an annual index satisfied the requirements of the Printing Act of 1895.
To bridge the gap between 1940 and the assumption of coverage by the Monthly Catalog in 1947, three supplements to the Monthly Catalog were issued which included declassified publications. The three supplements were: 1941-1942, 1943-1944 and 1945-1947.
Boyd, p. 41-42; Morehead, p. 79; Schmeckebier, p. 22-26.

U. S. Superintendent of Documents. Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications. Washington: Government Printing Office; January 1895-to date.

REF GP 3.8:1895-to date
See alsoGPO Access.
Note: Cited as Monthly Catalog. The oldest continuously published catalog of U. S. Government publications. The title has changed six times since its beginning in 1895. The Monthly Catalog includes both Congressional and departmental publications, and since 1935 has included processed materials.
No SuDoc numbers were listed until 1924. From 1895 through August 1947 the arrangement was hierarchical; from September 1947 through June 1976 the arrangement was alphabetical by issuing office; from July 1976 the arrangement is in SuDoc order. Beginning in January 1974, three separate indexes have been published: author, title and subject.
The Superintendent of Documents Library began entering all of the Monthly Catalog information in MARC format into the OCLC, Inc. database in July of 1976. Since July of 1976 the Monthly Catalog has been generated from the OCLC computer tapes. The current Monthly Catalog provides full Library of Congress cataloging information.
Four indexes are provided monthly; author, title, subject, and series/report. The semiannual and annual indexes include a fifth index by SuDoc number. Since the discontinuance of the biennial Documents Catalog with volume 25 (193940), the Monthly Catalog stands as the general, permanent catalog of Government publications. Cumulative indexes to it have been issued for 1941-1950; 1951-1960; 1961-1965; 1966-1970; 1971-1976; and 1976- 1980.
Boyd, p. 42-43: Morehead, p. 19-21, 8~81; Schmeckebier, p. 17-20.

Poole, Mary Elizabeth,Compiler. Monthly Catalog of Government Publications with Superintendent of Documents Classification Numbers Added, 1895-1924. Washington: Carrollton Press; 1975.

REF GP 3. 8:1895-1924
Note: Cited as Classes Added Edition. A reprint edition of the Monthly Catalog including the addition of Superintendent of Documents Classification Numbers previously omitted. Neither the biennial Documents Catalog nor the Monthly Catalog contained SuDoc numbers. Numbers were sought from various sources, including Depository invoices, Poole’s lists of Cuttered documents, the 1909 Checklist and the shelf list of G.P.O’s Public Documents Library [micropublished as 1970 Checklist].
Morehead, p. 83, 89-90.

Kanely, Edna M., Compiler. Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 1895-1900. Washington: Carrollton Press, Inc.; 1977.

2 volumes.
A subject index of publications listed in the Monthly Catalog. No indexes were included in the Monthly Catalog at this time.

Buchanan, William; Kanely, Edna M., Compilers. Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 1900-1971. Washington: Carrollton Press, Inc.; 1973-1975. 15 volumes.

REF Z1239. C8. volumes 1-15
A subject index of publications listed in the Monthly Catalog and Documents Catalogue. Entries were accumulated from 81 separate sources in the Monthly Catalog series and merged into one reference set. These sources included 48 annual indexes, 2 decennial indexes (1941-1950; 1951-1960), 1 six month index and 30 monthly catalogs for which no annual indexes were made. Entries prior to September 1947 show year and page number, later entries give year and entry number.
Morehead, p. 21, 83-84.

Lester, Daniel W.; Faull, Sandra, Lester, Lorraine. Cumulative Title Index to U.S. Government Publications 1789-1975. Arlington, VA: United States Historical Documents Institute; 1979-1982. 16 Volumes.

REF Z1223. Z7U9. volumes 1-16
An alphabetical listing of titles of publications contained in the shelf list of the GPO Public Documents Library (micropublished as 1970 Checklist). Each entry includes title, date, and SuDoc number. Indexed titles include all items classified and cataloged in the Superintendent of Documents Classification Scheme since its creation in 1895 through June 1976, plus all earlier materials in the collection. It does not contain U.S. Serial Set publications. Many titles were never listed in the Monthly Catalog.

Library of Congress. Serials Division. Popular Names of U. S. Government Reports: A Catalog. 3d ed. Washington: Government Printing Office; 1976. x, 263 p.

REF LC 6.2:G 74\976
The reports are arranged alphabetically by popular name. Each entry has a bibliographic description. Citations are made to the 1909 Checklist, the Document Catalog, and the Monthly Catalog. SuDoc numbers are provided when available. A special section titled Impeachment Inquiry that lists all reports, hearings, and miscellaneous documents printed by the Government Printing Office pertaining to the Watergate affair and related matters is included in the 3d edition only.

Library of Congress. Serials and Government Publications Division. Popular Names of U. S. Government Reports: A Catalog. 4th ed. Washington: Government Printing Office; 1984. x, 272 p.

REF Z. 1223. A199US. 1984
This a new edition of the work cited above. The special section titled Impeachment Inquiry that lists all reports, hearings, and miscellaneous documents printed by the Government Printing Office pertaining to the Watergate affair and related matters that was included in the 3d edition was omitted from the 4th edition. [LC 6.2:G 741984].