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Congressional Record

History and Description

• 1789 - 1824, Annals of Congress The Annals of Congress cover the 1st Congress through the 18th Congress/1st session. They were compiled between 1834 and 1846, primarily using newspaper accounts. Speeches are paraphrased and the record of debate is fuller than that available from the House Journal and Senate Journal.

• 1824 - 1837, Register of Debates 18th Congress/2nd session - 25th Congress/1st session.The Register of Debates is not a verbatim account of the proceedings. The Register of Debates and its successor, The Congressional Globe, overlapped publication for a brief period of time (23rd Congress/1st session through 25th Congress/1st session, 1833 - 1837)

• 1833 - 1873, The Congressional Globe 23rd Congress/1st session - 42nd Congress.The first five volumes of the Globe (23rd Congress/1st session through 25th Congress/1st session, 1833 - 1837) overlap with the Register of Debates. Initially the Globe contained an abstract of Congress' debates and proceedings. Beginning with the 32nd Congress (1851), the reporting was closer to verbatim transcription.

• 1874 - present, Congressional Record: The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session.

Paper Holdings and Locations

• 1789 - 1899 (1st - 55th Congress): Items are in 6th floor secured collections. Ask a Librarian for assistance.

• 1899 - present (56th Congress - ): Records are located on the sixth level of the stacks.

• When permanent compilation volumes are received, the paper daily editions are discarded.

• Special Note concerning "A" pages. "A" pages refer to the Appendix. From 1954 - 1964 only issued with the daily publication but not incorporated into the bound edition. Now called the Extensions of Remarks

Microfiche Holdings and Locations

Daily Congressional Record, in microfiche cabinets on level 6.

• 1985 - 1993 (99th Congress/1st session - 103rd Congress/1st session), filed under XA Congress/session:volume/part

• 1994 - present (103rd Congress/2nd session - present), filed under X1.1/A:volume/numbers

Permanent editions in microfiche cabinets on level 6

• 1980 - 1988 (96th Congress/2nd session - 100th Congress/2nd session) filed under X Congress/session:volume/part

• 1989 - present (101st Congress/1st session - present) filed under X 1.1 Congress/session:volume/part

Indexes/Finding Aids

Volume for each Congress have their own index, usually in the last volume of the session, but indexes may also be issued separately and shelved at the beginning of the Congress.

Pagination for Daily Edition is not the same as for the Bound Permanent Editions.

Online Versions

• 1789 - 1824 Annals of Congress

• 1824 - 1837 Register of Debates

• 1833 - 1873 Congressional Globe

• 1985 - present  LexisNexis™ Congressional, a database produced by LexisNexis™,  available through the public Internet terminals at the Connecticut State Library.  More information.

• 1995 - present Congressional Record at the Government Printing Office.

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Prepared by the Government Information and Reference Services Unit, page revised 11/2007.