Historic Publications

Check out the first edition of the U.S. Government Manual, published in 1935. You can learn more about the Government departments that were set up over 80 years ago.

Find out about transportation planning in Idaho from the Transportation Plan and Implementation Program, Annual Report, May 1975.

Did you know that Tropical Storm Agnes caused serious flooding in New York in June 1972? Read about it in Floods in New York, 1972: with Special Reference to Tropical Storm Agnes.

Learn about labor laws in Europe before World War I from the Administration of Labor Laws and Factory Inspections in Certain European Countries.

Did wood-pulp mills in New York contribute to pollution in Lake Champlain? The USGS investigated in 1905.

Want to know more about banking conditions in the U.S. and other countries before World War I? Check out this January 1912 report from the National Monetary Commission.

Learn how three paintings, including a Rembrandt, were stolen from Germany in 1922 and ended up in Ohio. The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce discussed the potential return of the paintings to West Germany during this 89th Congress hearing.

Check out the Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations during the 90th Congress to learn more about the military realities in Vietnam.

Read a briefing on compliance to the SALT I treaty before the Committee on Foreign Relations in the 96th Congress.

Get ready to celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month with Public Law 101-343, which designated November 1990 as the first National American Indian Heritage Month, and accompanying Proclamation 6230.

The map Northwest sector No. 10-22, issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1944, was digitized and contributed by Washington State Library.

Dietary intake findings: United States, 1971-1974 reported data from the first Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HANES) on the intakes of various nutrients by the U.S. population, for individuals aged 1-74 years.

Contributed by Boise State University, this Natural Resources Conservation Service publication chronicled natural resources on nonfederal land in Idaho in 1982.

A 1981 CBO Study looked at strategies for reducing the federal budget for fiscal years 1982-1986.

Celebrating the immigrant offers a history of the Statue of Liberty, and information about the planning, financing, and building of the American Museum of Immigration.

Learn about the United States Marine Corps in this chronicle of the service branch’s first 70 years.

One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with digitized posters from the University of Iowa.

Looking for educational activities to beat the heat? This NOAA activity book teaches climate science through interactive activities.  

Digitized and contributed by Washington State Library, Wildlife Circular 3 describes the implementation of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act, passed in 1937.

Considering renovating a historic property? This report from the National Park Service offers an extensive history of wallpaper styles and technologies, and guidance for restoration projects.

Government publications are fun for all ages! Enjoy this picture book and learn about the mating patterns of mallard ducks.

The Works Progress Administration provided employment for 8,500,000 individuals over the course of the program’s eight years in operation. The Final Report on the WPA Program, 1935-43 chronicles projects undertaken, employment by state and project, and program expenditures.

In 1961 the U.S. Government passed H.R. 5442, mandating the inclusion of a maker’s mark on gold and silver articles. This hearing describes the need for expanded consumer protection, beyond the scope of the National Stamping Act.  

Looking for a fun staff development activity? Learn about wildlife and relieve stress with this coloring book from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.