CIS Index to Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909

The CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909 provides access to material issued by federal departments and agencies, including annual reports, general publications, serials, instructions, rules, circulars, decisions, and registers and which were not published in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set - Digital Edition. The index leads to microfiche copies of the documents located in Wilson Library.

CIS Accession Number

You can either search for individual titles through the library catalog and find records like the Synopsis of weasels of North America which reference the CIS accession number or you can start with the CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909. This index refers to the following set of microfiche: U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909. No matter how you get to a publication covered by this index, the information you need to get a copy of the publication in the library is the CIS accession number. If you find record in the catalog, it will be part of the call number. If you start with the index, it'll be labeled "CIS accession number".

Index Organization

The index is organized into groups or clusters of agencies. Each part may be for one agency or several agencies and consists of a subject index, a reference bibliography and a supplementary index.

There are seven parts:

1. Treasury Department, Smithsonian Institution, Tariff Commission, Veterans Bureau, Veterans Administration, and Vocational Education Board
2. Commerce Department
3. War Department (except the Philippine Islands) and War Trade Board
4. Interior (including Indian Affairs), Justice, and Labor Departments and Interstate Commerce Commission
5. Agriculture Department
6. Navy Department, Library of Congress and other agencies
7. State Department, Post Office Department, Pan American Union, Shipping Board, Philippine Government, and other agencies

Subject Index

The subject index covers both topics and personal names. When you find the entry you are looking for, look for the CIS accession number (ex: W2507-1). You can then take the accession number to the microfiche cabinets to find the microfiche copy of the document(s).

Reference Bibliography

You may also use the CIS accession number to search the reference bibliography. When you look up the accession number in the reference bibliography, you will find another, expanded, description of the documents available which will help determine if the documents are the ones you are seeking.

Supplementary Index

The supplementary index is organized under SuDoc number, title, and agency report number. Again, find the accession number and use it to find the expanded description in the reference bibliography. The supplementary index also contains excellent guides.