Happy new year readers! Here’s a bit of good news in the midst of all of the craziness (as an aside, has our federal government gone insane?!). I just received a press release from the Government Publishing Office (GPO) that GPO and the Library of Congress have digitized 10,000 Volumes of the United States Serial Set!!
For those who don’t know, the Serial Set is a massive, bound compilation of all official numbered House and Senate reports and documents, including executive reports and treaty documents, issued for each session of Congress. This title has been published since 1817, providing extensive historical information on U.S. policy, history, science, and exploration, covering everything from executive branch reports and investigations to maps and cultural records. GPO is uploading volumes of the official Serial Set in phases for free public access on GovInfo. GPO has nearly 6,000 remaining volumes to upload and is aiming to release an additional 2,000 volumes in FY2026.
Highlights from the newly added volumes include:
- Report with information on how the Navy, Treasury, Post Office, and Agriculture departments participated in the 1876 International Exhibit, America’s first world’s fair that celebrated the Nation’s 100th birthday.
- Compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies from 1861‒1865. This was GPO’s largest print job at the time.
- Committee hearing from 1912 with testimony from advocates of women’s suffrage.
- Report of polar expedition to Lady Franklin Bay in Canada in 1881‒1884. The expedition aimed to establish a meteorological station in the Canadian Arctic to gather data on weather, magnetism, tides, and more. Only seven of the 25 original men survived the expedition.
This is one of the primary serials that many FDLP have on their shelves and in their catalogs. If you want to really nerd out, check out my friend Andrea Sevetson’s seminal book on the subject “The Serial set : its make-up and content.”
Researchers in universities have long had digital access to the Serial Set, but only through subscription databases like Proquest Congressional Publications or HeinOnline, with only a small number of volumes freely available online. So this GPO/Library of Congress project is a REALLY big deal. Thanks GPO and Library of Congress!!
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