Library Closed Saturday, May 25, through Monday, May 27.

Austin Public Library facilities and the Austin History Center will be CLOSED Saturday, May 25, through Monday, May 27. Recycled Reads, the Austin Public Library’s used bookstore, will be open Saturday and Sunday, but will be closed on Memorial Day.

Federal Government

Federal | Texas | Austin & Travis County | Services by Subject

General Information, Gateways, and Catalogs

USA.gov – The U.S. Government’s Official Web Portal - 1-800-FED-INFO (333-4636) - Start here for governmental services, information, and news. Also see Mobile Apps from USA.gov

FDsys –The U.S. Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System offers free online access to information and publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. Search by keyword or citation or browse by collection, which includes the Budget of the United States, the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, the United States Government Manual, and the United States Code.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) – Locate federal publications in a Federal Depository Library by authoring agency, title, subject, or general key word. Search results include descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those available online.

Metalib - Federated search engine that searches multiple U.S. Federal government databases, retrieving reports, articles, and citations while providing direct links to selected resources available online.

The United States Government Manual - Official handbook of the Federal Government provides comprehensive and authoritative descriptions of the programs and activities of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Government Manual also includes information about quasi-official agencies, international organizations with U.S. membership, and Federal boards, commissions, and committees. View previous editions available from FDsys.

Data.gov - find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government

Branches of Government

Executive

The White House – The official site provides speeches, issues, news, proclamations, executive orders, press releases, blogs, photos, videos, issue statements. Also offers information about the White House, past presidents, the administration, and the U.S. Government.

Compilation of Presidential Documents – Official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary. including proclamations, executive orders, speeches, press conferences and releases, communications to Congress and Federal agencies.

American Presidency Project - Established in 1999 as a collaboration between John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The archives contain 100,989 documents related to the study of the Presidency.

U.S. Budget – contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year. Other related and supporting budget publications are included, which may vary from year to year. (1996 – current)

Economic Report of the President - Annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. (1995 – current)

Legislative

THOMAS - Provides access to the full text of House and Senate bills and resolutions searchable by keyword and bill number. Includes the full text of the Congressional Record, as well as bill summary and status. Also contains information on how laws are made, along with the full text of the Constitution of the United States. Also see the beta site Congress.gov
U.S. Senate – Locate your U.S. Senator by state, name or class (indicating when they are up for reelection). Also find a biographical directory, statistical information, contact information, committee membership, the Congressional Record, bill search and floor activity.

U.S. House of Representatives – Enter your zip code to Find Your Representative. Also provides a schedule of events, floor proceedings, votes, committee membership, live and archived video from the House floor, and an explanation of the U.S. House of Representatives organization and history.

Congressional Record - Official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. (1994 – current)

Congressional Budget Office - Provides nonpartisan, objective analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the U.S. Congress. Search publications and cost estimates by date, topic, and popularity.

Congressional Directory - Official directory of the U.S. Congress with short biographies of the Senate and House, committee memberships, terms of service, staff, and contact information.

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) - An independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.

Library of Congress – Provides research services to the Congress. Includes the Congressional Research Service, U.S. Copyright Office, and Law Library of Congress. The collection offers more than 151 million items.

Judicial

Supreme Court of the United States – Official site provides documents, recent decisions, press releases, and speeches.

United States Courts – Overview of the federal court system, statistics, legal forms, court locator, and information by topic: bankruptcy, court records, appointment of counsel, probation, jury service, federal rulemaking, and a glossary of legal terms.

The Supreme Court Historical Society - private non-profit organization dedicated to the collection and preservation of the history of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) - Case and docket information from federal appellate, district and bankruptcy courts. Registration required. Usage fees under $15 per quarter are waived.

Government Assistance

Benefits.gov - provides citizens with easy, online access to government benefit and assistance programs. Allows you to search by state, category and federal agency.
Grants.gov - information on federal grants to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation (usually universities, researchers, cities, states, counties, and non-profit organizations). Federal grants are not federal assistance or loans to individuals.
Federal Student Aid - Grants, loans, and work-study programs for education beyond high school.
U.S. Small Business Administration - provides information on starting and managing a business. Proivde loan and grant information as well as certifications.
DisasterAssistance.gov – find and apply for assistance after a disaster, check the status of an application, and find news about disasters