The Pottsville
Library was designated a Federal depository library
in 1967, and we provide access to both United States and Pennsylvania
agency publications in print and online. If you cannot find an agency or
publication, please contact us for
assistance! For popular online federal publications, go to the GOVERNMENT
PUBLICATIONS page on this site.
Americans with
Disabilities Act -- from the US Dept. of Justice, this site provides a
variety of standards, laws, and Q&As for those who need to know what's
required under the ADA.
Congress.gov
-- Legislative
Information from Congress (replaces THOMAS)
Attorney
directory from Martindale -- look for a lawyer by name, by area of practice, or by firm
Justia --
"Law and legal information for lawyers, students, business and the
public." Site explains legal practice areas, provides links for legal
research, and examines court cases that are in the news.
Pennsylvania
Code Online -- official regulations and other documents, which have
the force of law
Pennsylvania Consolidated
and Unconsolidated Statutes -- "This site provides free access to both
the consolidated and unconsolidated Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes and
Constitution, as compiled and maintained by the editorial staff of Thomson/West,
and made available here in an unannotated version under agreement with the
Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau." Please note that free
legal advice is not provided at this site. This collection is also
available in print in the Reference Department.
Public Library of Law
(PLoL) -- calling itself "one
of the world's largest free law libraries," this
site provides access to US Supreme Court and state cases, federal and state
statutes (laws) and regulations, and other legal documents.
General resources, search services and basic starting
points:
Benefits.gov
-- this site provides a way to search for federal benefits, including direct
payments, loans, insurance, training or other assistance. You can search
for specific programs, or answer questions about your situation to find all the
benefit programs you may be eligible to receive.
Catalog of U.S.
Government Publications (CGP) -- "the finding tool for federal
publications that includes descriptive records for historical and current
publications and provides direct links to those that are available online."
FedWorld --
a
search service for government-produced information, provided by the Department of Commerce
FDsys --
"Federal Digital System, America's Authentic Government Information"; choose from one of the featured collections
like "Congressional Hearings", or click on "Browse
Collections" for a more complete list.
Grants.gov --
excellent starting point for any organization seeking a federal grant! (Note: individuals should use the
Benefits.gov site, not the grants
page.)
Healthcare.gov
-- Information you need about insurance availability from the Affordable Care
Act
USAGov -- central
starting point for finding federal offices and programs
Politics, Presidents, and
Processes
Ballotpedia
-- "The Encyclopedia of American Politics" "Ballotpedia
covers local, state and federal politics. Our content includes neutral,
accurate, and verifiable information on government officials and the offices
they hold, political issues and public policy, elections, candidates, and the
influencers of politics. "
FactCheck.org -- How much of what you
hear on the news is true? You might be surprised about the facts!
"The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public
Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. We are a nonpartisan,
nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of
deception and confusion in U.S.
politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S.
political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and
news releases."
Opensecrets.org--
just about everything you wanted to know about politics and money, including
fundraising for presidential elections, the gender gap in funding, and
information on PACS and lobbyists; published by the Center for Responsive
Politics
Ben's Guide
to U.S. Government for Kids -- grade-appropriate resources for kids to
understand more about the federal government
Kids.gov -- "The
Official Kid's Portal for the U.S. Government"
League of Women Voters
-- an excellent source of information about candidates and their voting or
support records. Also check out the Pennsylvania
League for your area.
POTUS
-- Presidents of the United States; gives brief biographical information
for each president up through Barack Obama, the cabinet members and vice presidents, and sources
for online biographies; hosted by ipl2 (the Internet Public Library)
Project Vote
Smart -- one of the best sites for education about the candidates and
for finding out how your representatives have been voting
Specific
federal agencies and other resources Note: the words "Dept.", "Bureau", and "U.S."
are not included in the alphabetization. For example, "US Supreme Court"
would be found under "Supreme" with the S's, rather than under "US" with
the U's.
USCIS
-- US Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS)
Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau -- "Our mission is to make markets for
consumer financial products and services work for Americans — whether they are
applying for a mortgage, choosing among credit cards, or using any number of
other consumer financial products."
Copyright
Office -- copyright basic information, fees, forms, and more; note that
forms must be filled out before being printed, blank forms are no longer
available.
Core
Documents of U.S. Democracy -- "These titles
contain information which is vital to the democratic process and critical
to an informed electorate. They support the public's right to know about
the essential activities of their Government."
EDGAR
Database -- searchable database of company reports that have been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission; includes addresses and other
useful information
FCC -- Federal
Communications Commission; "charged with regulating interstate and international
communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable"
Federal Consumer
Information Center -- now called Publications.USA.gov; free and low-cost consumer publications from
the most famous publisher in Pueblo, Colorado
US Government Printing
Office -- one of the largest publishers in the U.S.; primary source for purchasing government publications;
great place to find online publications, too!
Internal
Revenue Service - find information about tax breaks if you've suffered a
disaster, print out forms, or find free sites to file your federal income tax
forms.
US Mint --
features consumer alerts about collectible coins, a history of the mint, and
resources for kids and teachers (and anyone else curious about coins!)
NASA - National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, source of some of the coolest photographs
around.
Regulations.gov -- use this site to
find, review and submit comments on Federal documents that are open for comment
and published in the Federal Register.
Science.gov -- this site provides
one-stop searching for science-related publications and information from federal
agencies
Securities
and Exchange Commission -- the regulatory agency for publicly traded
securities, investment firms and related firms and professionals
Attorney
General - consumer protection, Do Not Call List, identity theft,
insurance fraud; all are topics covered by this state office, along with many
others.
Governors
Center for Local Government Services -- provided by the PA Dept. of
Community and Economic Development, this page provides information on county,
municipal and school district tax rates, as well as county and municipal
financial statistics going back to 1994, and a listing of local government
officials for every county in the state
U.S.
Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets -- formerly
called "Background Notes",
basic information about countries' governments, political
and economic systems, and histories
United Nations
-- the organization responsible for peacekeeping world wide, as well as
addressing human rights, development, and international law issues
World
Fact Book -- similar information to Background Notes, in a much briefer
format, plus excellent flag section; published by the CIA
World
Leaders: Chiefs
of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments -- published by
the CIA
Back
to alphabet index