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Topics include:

Census    Judicial    Business     Legislative Information  

      Elections     Maine   

Health     Taxes     Kids' Resources     Locate Publications 

A popular government without popular information, or the 

means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or both.  

James Madison

 

Portland Public Library has been a part of the Federal Depository Library Program since 1884.  We house more than 240,000 government documents and 22,000 topographic maps for Maine and the U.S.   Find them in the Main Library's Government Documents collection or link to many of them  here!

 

Census:  Learn about the 2010 Census and access 2010 data with FactFinder2!  Access Census 2000   information and statistics on population, housing and income at Gateway to Census 2000 .  Try American Factfinder for friendly access to  tables and maps of Census 2000 data for all geographies to the block level and State and County Quickfacts for summaries of the most requested data for states and counties.  Find details at Income Data 2000, Census Bureau Housing Data, or the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book.   American Community Surveys provides current data based on sampling.  Censuses of Population and Housing are now available online for 1990, 1980, 1970, 1960, 1950, 1940, 1930, 1920, 1910, 1890, 1880, 1870, 1860, 1850, 1840, 1830, 1820, 1810, 1800, 1790, and Special Collections.

 

Judicial:  For Maine state courts and cases, search opinions of the Supreme Judicial Court or the Superior Court.  Locate Maine court rules, publications and fees.  Find a Maine District Court.  Locate Maine legal resources at the Nathan and Henry B. Cleaves Law Library in Portland, the Maine State Bar Association or the University of Maine Law School's Garbrecht Law Library.  For legal help in Maine contact the Volunteer Lawyers Project or use HelpMELaw.  Look here for free legal assistance resources in other states.  On the federal level, search U.S. Supreme Court dockets, rules, and opinions.  Locate and link to U.S. Courts, go directly to U.S. Courts of Appeal, U.S. District Courts, or U.S. Bankruptcy Courts.

 

Business:  Save time, search electronically - Visit Business.gov, the official business link to the U.S. government.  For general info:   County Business Patterns, Current Industrial Reports, Small Business Profiles by state, or view the Economy at a Glance!  Locate labor information in Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates , Monthly Labor Review or the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Find the correct North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code. Use 5-year profiles of business by industry, geography or subject in the Economic Censuses.  Start-up info:  Small Business Administration, Small Business Start-up Kit, information on small business loans and grants or small business taxesMaine Small Business Development Centers, and Maine business resources.   The SEC provides information for and about public companies, plus filings and forms via Edgar.

 

Legislative Information:  For legislative history or legal research view the House JournalCongressional RecordBills/Proposed laws (Thomas)Public and Private Laws, the U.S. Congressional Serial Set Finding List, and the laws codified by subject at U.S. Code.   Search for Congressional Reports from the 110th Congress.  To find, review and comment on proposed federal rules visit try Regulations.gov or the Federal Register.  View rules and proposed rules that each Federal agency expects to issue during the next six months in the Unified Agenda.  Find the codification of the general and permanent rules in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) .  Browse the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation.  Find information on a member of Congress, 1774 to present, if you know the name.  Locate information on any member of the current House of Representatives or a current U.S. Senator.

 

Elections:  Visit America.Gov  and USA.gov to learn about elections and voting.  Get information on campaign finance from the Federal Election Commission, and federal election statistics, 1920-present, from the U.S. House ClerkMaine's Elections Division provides information including the Maine Voter Guide, and voter registration!  Find your polling place and the candidates who will be on your ballot.  Use Maine's Online Absentee Voter Request Service.  See Portland City Clerk's Office for local election news and voter registration.  Use the Easy-to-Read Voter Guide from Literacy Volunteers and the League of Women Voters.   Ben's Guide will help kids learn about the Election Process, as will Maine.gov's Democracy for Kids.

  

Maine:  Receive a partial refund of property taxes or rent paid via the Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund program!  Visit the state of Maine website, link to information on Maine state agencies, doing business here, Maine law, Maine online rules by department, online vehicle registration, online hunting and fishing licenses, the Maine Legislature (including audio when the Legislature is in session). Find your state representative or senator. Gather Maine Census data 2000, 1990, or historical population data.  For labor,  employment and job information visit Maine Employment Info Guide.com.  High school students and others can download Me. State Bar's On Your Own guide.

 

Health:  For seasonal or H1N1 flu information go to flu.gov, the Centers for Disease Control, or Maine's CDC.  For health information on any topic try MedlinePlus from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine.   Visit the health.gov portal to federal and other agency health activities and information.  Search healthfinder for reliable health information or NCHS FASTATS for health statistics.  Find information on nursing home performance or learn about Medicare.  Visit the National Women's Health Information Center, 4woman.gov, for free, reliable health information for women everywhere.  Locate health-related information and toll-free telephone numbers at National Library of Medicine's Health Hotlines.

 

Taxes:  Visit 1040 Central for the links you’ll need to file your federal tax return!  Find out if you qualify for Free File, an online tax preparation and electronic filing partnership for your FEDERAL tax return.  Locate federal IRS Forms and Publications for individuals, businesses, non-profits, etc. Learn about small business taxes.   Go to Maine Fastfile to do your 1040-ME Fastfile individual income tax, or your sales tax internet filing, to check your refund status, or to use other Maine Revenue Services electronic services.  Locate downloadable Maine Tax Forms or Publications.  Apply for the Maine Residents' Property Tax and Rent Refund Program.  Locate tax forms from other states.

 

Kids:  have fun, learn about government, and gather information for reports and other homework from Ben's Guide to U.S. Government and kids.gov, the U.S. government interagency Kids' Portal. Learn about the White House or link to kids pages on agency websites. Join the NASA Kids Club!  Take steps to a healthier you at MyPyramid.gov!  Locate Maine information or travel the U.N.'s Cyberschoolbus.  Visit U.S.Dept. of Education Resources for Students.

 

To locate government publications in any federal depository library, including Portland Public Library, search the enhanced Government Printing Office catalog for federal documents, 1976 to the present, or browse federal government documents by subject to find publications on your topic.

 

Writing a term paper?  Need to footnote government documents you have used?  Go to Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications!

 

Have questions/comments/need assistance with a government documents question?  Contact:  shryock@portland.lib.me.us

 

 

 

 

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Quick Picks

Local:

Portland, Me., City Hall Info

Portland, Me., City Code

Portland Public Schools

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Greater Portland Metro

Maine:

Maine.gov - State of Maine

Cooperative Extension Service

Find your elected officials

Lyme Disease Info.

Maine AG Consumer Alerts

Maine Bar Legal Info. Pamphlets

Maine Courts Forms & Publications

Maine eGovernment Applications

Maine Employment Info Guide

Me. law guides from Pine Tree Legal

Me. Laws & Law Enforcement

Me. licensed professionals

Me. Town & City Ordinances from UMaine Law School

Me. Turnpike Exits

Me. Vital Records

Maine's Free Rental Listing Service

Utility Rate Info.

U.S.:

Budget of the U.S.

Catalog of Fed'l Domestic Assistance

Catalog of U. S. Gov't. Publications

Constitution of the U.S.

Consumer Guides and Protection

Consumer Price Index

Core Documents of US Democracy

Economic Indicators

Economic Report/President

Edgar, SEC forms and filings

FAFSA, Federal Student Aid

FCIC Consumer Info.

Fedstats

FirstGov

Forms.gov

Genealogy Resources

Government Printing Office

Info. for Immigrants 

Interest Rates

Library of Congress

Mobile Apps from USA.gov

National Atlas

National Climatic Data Center

National Do Not Call Registry

Nationwide Veteran Gravesite Locator

Patents, Trademark & Copyright

Postal Rates and Fees

Presidential Documents

Science.gov

Statistical Abstract

Unemployment Rate

U.S. Courts

U.S. Embassies

U.S. Government Manual

Wages-Occupational Info.

Weather

Write for Vital Records

Zip+4 Code Look-up

International:

CIA World Factbook

Country Studies

Foreign Consular Offices

State Dept. Background Notes

World Leaders

5 Monument Square, Portland Maine 04101    207 871-1700    email: reference@portland.lib.me.us