Government Documents

The Brown-Daniel Government Documents Depository serves the needs of students, faculty, and staff of Tennessee State University as well as the citizens of Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, including the Nashville-Davidson Metropolitan area and the cities of Springfield and Goodlettsville. 

Tennessee State University's Government Documents Collection is free to use and access by all who wish to do whether in person or online.

If you are having trouble accessing something, contact the government documents librarian at akhan8@tnstate.edu

In-depth information on TSU's access policy can be found under the Access Policy tab

Tennessee State University's Martha M. Brown-Lois H. Daniel Library has been a selective depository for United States Government Documents since 1972. The library is one of four in the 5th Congressional District of Tennessee. 

This Library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government Documents. Public Access to the Government Documents collection is guaranteed by public law. (Title 44 United States Code)

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Unlike the Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress Classification System that you may have already heard of, the Superintendent of Documents or SuDoc Classification System operates differently than you may be used to. Government documents are organized by the government office or agency that created them rather than an individual author, as you would see with a typical novel. Resources to help you navigate this unfamiliar classification system can be found posted on the government documents shelving and a table just outside of the government documents librarian's office (Room 218), along with promotional items free to take.

More information on SuDoc numbers can be found on the Informational/Instructional Videos and Information and Resources You May Want to Know About tab of this LibGuide. 

Basic Government Information Websites

FDLP.gov- A go-to website to learn the ins and outs of the Federal Depository Library Program. It is a great resource for any aspiring or new government documents librarians

gpo.gov- The Government Publishing Office is in charge of the maintenance of the Federal Depository Library Program.

govinfo.gov- Provides free access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal government.

GovInfo Tutorials- click on the hyperlink to find information on how to perform searches, navigate the GovInfo website, and overall improve your experience while using this website

ask.gpo.gov- Here you are able to ask questions, find out where Federal Depository Libraries are in your area, and even request to be a depository library

congress.gov

federalregister.gov

loc.gov

house.gov

senate.gov

law.cornell.edu- Here you will find Cornell University's Legal Information Institute 

In general, English-speaking countries, and major organizations with English-speaking countries as members, have the strongest collections of government documents available online.