Hist 395

HIST 395 Financial Panics in U.S. History-Libraries Research Guide

Purdue Libraries have many books and other resources on financial panics and economic turmoil in U.S. History. Library of Congress Subject Heading (LCSH) searches are good ways of finding books in the libraries collections through the online catalog. Sample LCSH searches you can try include:

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.)
Depression 1929 United States
Financial Crises Government Policy United States
Financial Crises United States History
United States Economic Conditions
United States Economic Conditions 1865-1918

You an also use LCSH and author searches in the online catalog to find books by and about organizations such as government agencies. Examples include:

Conference Board
National Bureau of Economic Research
United States Dept of the Treasury
United States Federal Reserve Board
United States Works Projects Administration

Most books you need for this class will be in the HSSE Library, Management & Economics Library, HIKS Repository, or MEL Repository. Through 2008, libraries books are cataloged using the Dewey Decimal Classification System and starting in 2009 the Libraries began using the Library of Congress classification system.

Journal Article and Other Databases
The Libraries subscribe to many journal article and other scholarly databases containing useful U.S. economic history information. These include:

America: History and Life (Indexes articles from U.S. & Canadian History journals.)
American Periodical Series Online (Contains articles from U.S. magazines from 1740-1940.)
Digital United States Congressional Serial Set (Contains the full text of congressional committee legislative reports, many U.S. Government documents and statistics, and individual financial compensation appeals to the federal government from 1789-1969).
Econlit (Indexes articles from economic journals.)
HarpWeek Archives (Features full text and images from Harpers Weekly from 1857-1912.)
Historical Statistics of the United States (Statistics on numerous topics from U.S. Government agencies.)
Humanities Abstracts (Indexes articles from history journals and other humanities journals.)
New York Times Historical (Articles from this newspaper from 1851-2006.)
Nineteenth Century Newspapers (Articles from various 19th century U.S. newspapers.)
Proquest Historical Annual Reports (Features annual reports from selected companies from 1844-present. The federal government did not require companies issuing stock to issue annual reports until the 1934 creation of the Securities & Exchange Commission.)
Sabin Americana (Features most books and pamphlets published in the U.S. between 1500-1926)
Wall Street Journal Historic (Features articles from this premier business newspaper from 1889-1992.)

U.S. Government Information Resources

The U.S. Government is the world's largest publisher producing information on every subject including financial crises in U.S. History. Purdue Libraries are a depository for U.S. Government documents and have extensive collections of economic history materials. The online research guides Government Documents on Banking & Financial Services and Government Documents on Economics contain access to relevant source materials. U.S. Government documents are classified using the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification system where documents are arranged alphabetically by the agency producing them. An explanation of this system can be found here.

Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications HSSE Periodicals 016.353 Un36 (Index of U.S. Government publications distributed to federal depository libraries like Purdue University. Online July 1976-present with more recent resources full text.)
Statistical Abstract of the United States (Annual Census Bureau publication produced since 1878.)
Economic Report of the President HSSE Periodicals 330.973 Un365 (Annual report presenting the views of presidential administrations on current economic conditions.)
Economic Indicators (Monthly statistical publication prepared by the President's Council of Economic Advisors for Congress' Joint Economic Committee.
Federal Reserve Bulletin HIKS Repository 332.16 Un2b (Federal Reserve Board journal of economic trends and developments.)
Monthly Labor Review (Bureau of Labor Statistics journal documenting and analyzing labor market trends and developments.)
Survey of Current Business HIKS Repository & MEL Repository 658.05 Un3 (Commerce Department journal documenting economic statistics and activity.)
Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research (FRASER)-This St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank resource is an excellent source for 20th century economic history information.)

Congressional Sources
Congressional Record and thru Digital United States Congresional Serial Set (Read Congressional debates and see votes on specific legislation.)
House Financial Services Committee HSSE Documents Y 4.F 49/20 (2001-present) and House Banking Committee HSSE Documents Y 4.B 22/1 (1975-2000)
Senate Banking Committee HSSE Documents Y 4.B 22/3. (Pre-1975 hearings for both of these committees are in HSSE attic.)
Joint Economic Committee HSSE Documents Y 4.EC 7 (1975-present. Earlier years in HSSE attic.)

Congressional committees are responsible for approving legislation, conducting oversight of government programs, and funding these programs. Committee hearing transcripts and publications are excellent primary information sources on U.S. financial crises along with other U.S. Government documents.)

Professor Bert Chapman
Government Information and Political Science Librarian
42837
chapmanb@purdue.edu
(9/09)