Why you need to find government information

THE NEW STANDARD IN WEB ACCESS TO CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION

Seasoned researchers have long known that the U.S. Congress is one of the world's best information sources. But for many -- students in particular -- this valuable resource has been a well-kept secret. That is about to change.

CIS, the leader in providing access to government information, now offers a powerful online answer to researchers' congressional information needs: LexisNexis Congressional. LexisNexis Congressional brings together a vast amount of information published by and about Congress, and makes it readily available with sophisticated access tools. These tools combine searching power with ease of use so that anyone, from undergraduates to experienced researchers, can use congressional information effectively.

The reliable indexing and abstracting of the CIS/Index to Publications of the U.S. Congress from 1970 forward sets LexisNexis Congressional apart from other services. But LexisNexis Congressional is far more than the CIS/Index on the Web. It provides a seamless link to the full range of legislative and public policy resources, including:

• Hearing transcripts and submitted testimony from the 104th Congress forward
• Committee reports from the 101st Congress forward
• Bills -- all versions of all legislation introduced from the 101st Congress forward
• Public laws from the 100th Congress forward
• Congressional member public interest group ratings
• Selected committee prints from the 104th Congress forward
• Congressional documents from the 104th Congress forward
• Congressional Record from the 99th Congress forward
• Federal Register from 1980 forward
• Current Code of Federal Regulations
• Current U.S. Code

CIS/INDEX CONTROLLED VOCABULARY CUTS SEARCH TIME

LexisNexis Congressional lets researchers find information quickly and reliably. The key is the controlled vocabulary of the CIS/Index, enhanced for the Web, which lets users find information from virtually any starting point, and ensures consistency of access over time. Researchers can easily find information by:

• Subject
• Source committee
• Bill number
• Session of Congress
• SuDoc number
• Publication number
• Monthly Catalog entry number
• Title
• Witness name and affiliation
• Public law number (for legislative histories)
• Date
• Item number
• LC card number

As flexible as it is thorough, LexisNexis Congressional also allows fully featured full-text searching so users can find information regardless of their knowledge level on a specific topic.

The database gives students clear and concise explanations of congressional publications and their relative importance as legislative and historical documents. At the same time, it lets advanced searchers locate information efficiently.

CAMPUS-WIDE ACCESS DIRECT TO DESKTOP

The Web-based LexisNexis Congressional is available for usage throughout a campus, and students can access the database from their dorm rooms using any common browser. Congressional frees librarians from concerns about software and hardware, processing source documents, and user training. As a result, librarians save money and staff time.

LEGISLATIVE TRACKING FEATURES ENHANCE RESEARCH

With LexisNexis Congressional, researchers can track legislative and public policy issues as well as the activities of committees and members of Congress. There's no need to consult any other source. LexisNexis Congressional features:

• Bill tracking for the 101stpresent Congresses
• Congressional member biographical and committee assignment information
• Floor votes back to the 100th Congress
• Congressional member legislative and voting information
• Congressional member financial information
• Information on all the committees and subcommittees of the current Congress, including committee and subcommittee mission, address, staffers, and members
• Hot bills -- comprehensive coverage of the hottest public policy issues

In addition, an easy-to-use legislative history feature lets researchers compile a history for virtually any law enacted since 1970.

PRICING TO SUIT ANY LIBRARY

LexisNexis Congressional is available in a variety of pricing options to suit academic libraries regardless of size, as well as public and government libraries. For more information, please contact the LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions Customer Service Department, 800-638-8380.