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Library & Resources

Government Documents


Government Resources Logo

The Leonard S. Washington Memorial Library is a state and federal depository library, designated by law to participate in making federal and state documents available to the public, including the faculty, staff and students of Southern University at New Orleans and the constituents of the 2nd Congressional District. The Library is a selective depository, currently receiving 29.90% of available documents. In addition to the resources listed below, most of the Library's electronic and print government resources will be included in search results when searching the eLibrary Catalog for a particular topic.

 

  • Arts, Literature & Music

    Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
    The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research and educational unit of the Smithsonian Institution promoting the understanding and continuity of diverse, contemporary grassroots cultures in the United States and around the world. The Center produces the Smithsonian Folklife Festival,Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, exhibitions, documentary films and videos, symposia, publications, and educational materials. The Center also has a YouTube channel where you can view live performances of music from around the world.

    National Gallery of Art - Online Tours
    Explore an artist or theme or choose a tour by school or medium to explore the National Gallery's collections of painting, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, and decorative arts.

    Library of Congress - Poetry and Literature
    Information on Poets Laureate, webcasts of poetry readings and more.

    National Endowment for the Arts
    Find about grants and internships and sign up for the free online NEA Arts Magazine.

    National Endowment for the Humanities
    Provides grants for research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.

    Institute for Museum and Library Services
    A grant-making federal agency supporting museums and libraries of all types.
  • Business

    EDGAR Database of Online Corporate Financial Information
    All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free. Here you'll find links to a complete list of filings available through EDGAR and instructions for searching the EDGAR database.

    Federal Business Laws & Regulations
    This web page from the U.S. Small Business Administration provides information on day-to-day legal issues that could affect small businesses.

    Louisiana Services Directory - Business
    Provides information on state tax credits, licensing information and business assistance.

    Louisiana.gov - Business
    Find out about state licensing agencies, incentives, taxes, workforce training, etc. for Louisiana businesses, and about doing business with the state.

    U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
    BEA produces economic accounts statistics that enable government and business decision-makers, researchers, and the American public to follow and understand the performance of the Nation's economy.

    U.S.Small Business Administration
    Provides information, counseling, training and support for opening and maintaining a small business.
  • General Resources

    Citing Government Documents
    Guide to resources on citing government documents, from Columbia University Libraries.

    FDsys: Federal Digital System
    Includes the full-text of many executive, legislative, and judicial government publications and the Constitution of the United States.

    Louisiana Elected Officials Database
    Search for Statewide and Multi-Parish Elected Officials; All Elected Officials in a Parish; and All Elected Officials in an Office (for example, "All Sheriffs"). Recent incumbents can be viewed as well.

    Louisiana Services Directory
    The Louisiana.gov Services Directory is a consolidated and comprehensive online directory of services provided by state government to citizens and businesses. Services include licenses and permits, certifications, registrations, filings, publications, e-mail offerings, databases, and information resources.

    USA.gov
    A portal to federal government information. Browse broad topics or search to find information or elected officials.

 

  • Geography & Countries

    CIA World Factbook
    A great place for researching countries. Find information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues of a country of interest.

    National Atlas - Printable Maps
    Download and/or print many types of maps, including reference and outline maps (showing states, cities, capitals, highways, waterbodies, etc.), terrain maps and more.

    NationMaster
    Provides statistical data for countries. Users can compare countries and generate maps and graphs.
  • Grants & Loans

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
    A database of all federal programs available to state and local governments, private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions, specialized groups, and individuals.

    Benefits.gov
    Benefits.gov is the official benefits website of the U.S. government, with information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs.

    Grants.gov
    Grants.gov is your source to find and apply for federal grants.

    Institute for Museum and Library Services
    A grant-making federal agency supporting museums and libraries of all types.

    LA eGRANTS
    Louisiana eGrants is a one-stop grants portal for citizens, non-profits, businesses, and faith-based organizations to identify funding opportunities. Free registration required.

    National Endowment for the Arts
    This grant-making agency supports artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities.

    National Endowment for the Humanities
    A grant-making agency supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.

    U.S. Small Business Administration - Small Business Loans
    While the U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. Grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.
  • Health

    Drug Information Portal
    This Portal from the National Library of Medicine provides information on prescription drugs for both consumers and health professionals. Find information on dietary instructions, precautions, storage, side effects and more.

    Louisiana Services Directory - Health
    Provides information on area mental health clinics, Children's Special Health Services, halfway houses, crisis management services, substance abuse treatment centers, Medicaid and more.

    Louisiana State Center for Health Statistics
    Find state vital statistics (births, deaths, marriages), the Louisiana Health Report Card and more.

    MedlinePlus
    A good place to start for general information on medical conditions, diseases, health. The site also offers links to medical encyclopedias and doctor finders. From the National Library of Medicine.

    National Center for Health Statistics
    Location statistics on diseases and conditions, health care and insurance, risk behaviors and more, from the
    Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

    Office of Minority Health
    This office leads initiatives on AIDS, healthy babies, obesity, sickle cell and other health issues for minority communities. The website provides data and statistics, information on finding low-cost health care, and more.
  • History

    About Louisiana - History and Culture
    Facts and History about Louisiana, from InfoLouisiana, a project of the Louisiana Department of Administration. Includes a link to the New Orleans Notarial Archives of land and other records.

    Louisiana Gumbo
    A digital collection of historic Louisiana photographs & lesson plans, from the State Library of Louisiana.

    Louisiana History - Primary Sources
    Selected Library of Congress primary resources for Louisiana. There is a strong emphasis on photographs of notable Louisiana personalities: governors, artists, authors and musicians. Historic buildings and sites are also included.

    Primary Documents in American History: Web Guide
    View primary source materials from the collections of the Library of Congress. Currently covers 1763-1877, with plans for more recent materials to be added.
  • Laws, Regulations & Legal Cases

    Code of Federal Regulations
    The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of rules published in the Federal Register (see below) by the departments and agencies of the federal government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad subject areas. You can browse by title using the link above or search.

    Congressional Record
    An official transcript of the proceedings and debates in Congress. You can browse using the link above or search.

    Federal Register
    Essentially a daily "newspaper" telling citizens what executive agencies are doing. A Federal Register notice will list a proposed action, comment period dates, and instructions on how to comment. Also a source for finding new grant opportunities. Organized by date. You can browse using the link above or search.

    Legal Cases
    Search for U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. lower court, and state legal cases through the SUNO Library's LexisNexis Academic database.

    Louisiana Laws Search
    This provides access to the Louisiana Constitution, Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, Code of Criminal Procedure, Code of Evidence, Children's Code, House Rules, Joint Rules, Senate Rules, and Revised Statutes. Full text of all is available, and the site provides many search options.

    Louisiana Register
    A state version of the Federal Register.

    Municode.com - Louisiana
    Local municipal ordinances and minutes for cities and parishes of Louisiana.

    THOMAS - Bills, Resolutions
    This site from the Library of Congress includes the full-text of House and Senate Bills for the 101st Congress (1989-90) to the present and bill summary and status from the 93rd Congress (1973) to the present.

    United States Code
    The codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 50 "titles", or subjects. For example, Title 40 deals with protection of the environment. You can browse by title using the link above or search.
  • Science

    ABC's of Nuclear Science
    A basic introduction to nuclear structure, radioactivity, fusion, fission, etc., from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

    Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
    Learn about renewable energy technologies, from EERE, part of the Department of Energy.

    Periodic Table of Elements
    An easy-to-use periodic table from Los Alamos National Laboratory. Click on a chemical for more information (structure, formula, history, etc.).

    Selected Internet Resources: African Americans in Science and Technology
    Selected Internet Resources on African Americans in Science and Technology, from the Library of Congress.

    Women and Minorities in Science and Technology: Selected Internet Resources
    While several of these links are to professional associations websites, there are also several great ones about historical and current minorities in the sciences. From the Library of Congress.
  • Social Work

    CIA World Factbook
    A great place for researching countries. Find information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues of a country of interest.

    National Atlas - Printable Maps
    Download and/or print many types of maps, including reference and outline maps (showing states, cities, capitals, highways, waterbodies, etc.), terrain maps and more.

    NationMaster
    Provides statistical data for countries. Users can compare countries and generate maps and graphs.

    AgingStats.gov
    Provides statistics on population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care for American seniors.

    ChildStats.gov
    "This website offers...statistics and reports on children and families, including: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education and health."

    Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health (DRC)
    DRC aims to advance the effective use of public data on health and health-related services for children, youth and families in the United States. DRC provides national, state, and regional data findings.

    Kids Count Data Center
    A national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States.

    Louisiana State Services Directory
    Directory of state resources and services on a wide variety of topics, including child adoption, foster care, children & family services, senior services, social services and more. Use the "by category" drop-down menu at the top of the page to select a topic.

    USA.gov - Family Issues
    Links to federal resources on child abuse and neglect, seniors, disabilities, domestic violence, drugs, violence and teens, juvenile justice & delinquency, parenting and more.
  • Statistics

    AgingStats.gov
    Provides statistics on population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care for
    American seniors.

    American FactFinder
    Find U.S. Census data, including population, housing, economic and geographic data.

    Bureau of Justice Statistics - Data Analysis Tools
    Crime and criminal justice statistics collected from various federal agencies.

    ChildStats.gov
    Find statistics and reports on children and families, including: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education and health.

    Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health
    Provides national, state, and regional data findings on health and health-related services for children, youth and families in the United States.

    ED Data Express
    Provides a wealth of state-level education data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

    FedStats
    Official portal to federal government statistics from more than 100 agencies. If the national data you need isn't offered by the Census Bureau (above), you may want to try FedStats. The site includes statistical profiles for each state.

    Kids Count Data Center
    A national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States.

    Louisiana State and Parish Quick Facts
    Quick facts about Louisiana people, business and geography, including information about population, households, median income, poverty, employment, building permits, federal grants, land area, persons per square mile for the state and parish levels, from the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Louisiana State Data Center
    An official source of Louisiana demographic, economic, and social statistics.

    Louisiana Statistical Analysis Center
    The LCJIC has been a primary resource for Louisiana criminal justice policy makers and practitioners to obtain timely and accurate information on the state's criminal justice system." The site provides information on crime rates by parish, crime in Louisiana, and minimum jail standards.

    National Center for Health Statistics
    Location statistics on diseases and conditions, health care and insurance, risk behaviors and more, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

    Statistical Abstract of the United States
    The authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. You can browse this easy-to-use resource by topic.

    U.S. Census Bureau
    Find census statistics on demographics, housing, health, and more.

Other Libraries

Jefferson Parish Library