The federal and state government documents collections support the curricular and research needs of the University with up-to-date and historical sources reflecting all aspects of government activity.
The Government Documents Department offers research assistance, customized instruction sessions and specialized workshops covering a wide variety of topics including public policy, legislation, statistics and data, and primary sources. Assistance is available for faculty, students, staff and members of the community.
The Federal Depository Collection primarily resides on Floor 4 of Milner Library.
We follow policies and procedures consistent with depository regulations.
History of the Depository Collection at Illinois State University
Milner Library has served as a selective Federal Depository for government information since 1858.
The depository has played an important role in the history of the university. Over half of the original holdings of the University Library in 1858 consisted of government publications donated by several members of Congress, including Owen Lovejoy, who also designated the University Library a Federal Depository. Following the Civil War, when our designation was briefly lost, Senator (and former Illinois governor) Richard Oglesby redesignated the University as a depository for government information.
As a result of our historic background, we have many primary resources dating to the mid-nineteenth century and to the founding of the United States. Please visit the Documents library guide for more information.