Government Publishing Office (GPO) and Authentic Official Publications

 

The U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE (GPO)　is the official, digital and secure source for producing,　protecting, preserving and distributing the official　publications and information products of the Federal　Government.

GPO provides public access to the official publications　and information of the Government. GPO’s mission can　be traced to the requirement in Article I of the Constitution　that each House keep a journal of its proceedings and　from time to time publish the same.

When GPO signs and certifies a digital document, a blue ribbon icon appears right beneath the top navigation menu and also in the Signature Panel within Adobe Acrobat or Reader. When users print a document that has been signed and certified by GPO, the Seal of Authenticity will automatically print on the document, but the ribbon will not print.　

Try This:

Click here to open the document. Is it authenticated by GPO?
(Note: You need to open the document within Adobe Acrobat or Reader to check the Blue Ribbon Icon and the GPO's Seal of Authenticity.)

Image above: Blue Ribbon Icon

Image above: GPO's Seal of Authenticity

Follow Kelley Center Government Information blogs to learn more.
You are also invited to explore more authentic official government publications and use our services to enhance your research: check out our research guides at https://libguides.rice.edu/gov , visit the Kelley Center, or schedule an appointment with Anna Xiong, your FDLP Representative at Fondren Library: govhelp@rice.edu.

Featured New U.S. Federal Publication: Budget FY 2025 - Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2025

 

 

This government document contains analyses that are designed to highlight specified subject areas or provide other significant presentations of budget data that place the budget in perspective. This volume includes: economic and accounting analyses; information on Federal receipts and collections; analyses of Federal spending; information on Federal borrowing and debt; baseline or current services estimates; and other technical presentations.

Click here to access the free online full text of this publication.

Questions For You

The authentication matters.
Is this online document an authenticated official version and how do you know?
Who or which government agency has issued this document?
What is the name of the publisher of the document?

Find out the answer or explore more government information resources and conduct research on more topics, check out https://libguides.rice.edu/gov, visit the Kelley Center, or schedule an appointment with Anna Xiong, your FDLP Representative at Fondren Library: govhelp@rice.edu.

 

Find Your Family in Federal Records

The National Archives keeps track of our nation’s most important documents – from our foundational documents such as the Constitution to current materials essential to our national security.  But did you know that the NARA can help you with your own essential, foundational papers? 

Every year the National Archives hosts a series of educational webinars on genealogy research using national records. The sessions, hosted on the U.S. National Archives YouTube channel, are free and intended for all levels of expertise – from novices to experienced researchers. 

Lecture schedule, topic descriptions, videos, and handouts are available at the 2024 Genealogy Series web page. 

Sessions begin May 21^st and continue to the end of June.  They will all be broadcast Tuesdays at 1pm EST.  However, videos and handouts will remain after the event has ended. 

No registration is needed.  Just go to the series webpage and click on the appropriate link for the topic(s) you are interested in. 

 

From the National Archives press release:

Background: The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census, and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. See “Resources for Genealogists” online.