Online Government Documents

Benjamin F. Payton Learning Resources Center is a selective depository of federal documents distributed by the Government Printing Office (GPO). The publications provide up-to-date information of a wide variety of subjects such as business, education, agriculture, crime, health, statistics, and science. In addition to print documents distributed by the GPO, the government also produces many online documents, websites, and statistics collections many of which are listed below. Select and click on the subject below or scroll down the page to explore topic.

  • AGRIS – is the international information system for the agricultural sciences and technology. Subject scope of AGRIS includes all technical, economic and sociological aspects of agriculture, including forestry, animal husbandry, the aquatic sciences and fisheries, and human nutrition.
  • AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access) – serves as the catalog and index to the collections of the National Agricultural Library, as well as a primary public source for world-wide access to agricultural information.
  • Census of Agriculture – is produced by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
  • USA Spending – is the publicly accessible, searchable website mandated by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 to give the American public access to information on how their tax dollars are spent. 
  • US Government Accountability Office (GAO) – is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” the GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO is the Comptroller General of the United States.
  • Department of Treasury – contains business tax information, contracting and procurement information, small business program, business registration, importing and exporting, EIN numbers, tax and wage reporting.
  • USA Trade Online – is a dynamic data tool that gives users access to current and cumulative U.S. export and import data. 
  • Survey of Current Business– BEA’s monthly journal of record. Articles in the Survey present the latest national, international, regional, and industry estimates; describe the methodologies used to prepare the estimates; provide information about revisions; and discuss on-going research.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook – is the nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives.  The Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.
  • United States Census– The United States Census Bureau is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy.
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics– includes statistics about crime and victims, drugs and crime, criminal offenders, the justice system in the United States, law enforcement, prosecution, courts, etc.
  • Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics – provides data from more than 100 sources about all aspects of criminal justice in the United States, which are displayed in over 600 tables. 
  • Department of Education – offers information about the Department, including initiatives and priorities,  grant opportunities, offices, publications,  research and statistics.
  • Library of Congress–  is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, and it serves as the research arm of Congress.
  • National Center for Education Statistics – is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations.
  • US Executive Departments– links to the 15 executive departments which are the primary units of the executive branch of the United States.
  • US Government Manual– provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
  • Whitehouse– the official website of the White House.
  • American Fact Finder – is a collection of popular facts (population, income, etc.) and frequently requested data. 
  • Data.gov – is the official U.S. government site providing increased public access to federal government datasets. 
  • National Center for Education Statistics– collects, analyzes and makes available data related to education in the U.S. and other nations.
  • Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics– brings together data from more than 100 published and unpublished sources about many aspects of criminal justice in the United States.
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States-is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
  • Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance – is a government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities which provide assistance or benefits to the American public.
  • Federal Register – is the official daily journal for US Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as Executive Orders and other Presidential Documents.
  • FDsys:  Federal Digital System – is the official source of current federal publications.
  • GovEngine – is a directory of official federal, state, and local government and court links.
  • Government Printing Office (GPO)– publishes and disseminates official and authentic federal government publications.
  • United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) – is the official website of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Search for patents and trademarks, order copies, apply for patents, register trademarks, pay fees, monitor progress, etc.
  • USA.gov – is the official U.S. Government portal to government information, services, and online transactions.
  • Healthy People – provides a framework for prevention for the Nation. It is a statement of national health objectives designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to health and to establish national goals to reduce these threats.
  • CIA World Fact Book– provides information on the history, people and society, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
  • Eurostat – is the statistical office of the European Union situated in Luxembourg. Its mission is to provide high quality statistics for Europe. 
  • UN Data – is an internet-based data service which brings UN statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single entry point. 
  • Congress.gov – provides legislative information from the Library of Congress.  Congress.gov replaces the Thomas retrieval system beginning in July 2016.
  • SCGov – is the official website of the state of South Carolina that provides links to information about state government, including statewide calendar, jobs, agencies and boards, phone directory, education, business, health, public safety and much more.
  • SCIWay – provides links to information about South Carolina, government, business, schools, libraries, civic and religious organizations, community events, statistics, etc.
  • South Carolina Statistical Abstract– is an online publication containing economic, demographic, and social data related to South Carolina, produced and published primarily by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The library, an intrinsic part of Benedict College, observes certain holidays. Inquiries as to holidays observed may be made by calling the library in advance at (803) 705-4301; (803) 705-4364 or by checking the posting of hours in the building’s lobby.

About

Programs and Initiatives

News

Events and Workshops

Success Stories

Resources