This Week's Facts:
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Online Resource Tracks
Progress of Federal Legislation
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19th-Century Reports Account
for State Legislative History
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IDEM Tool Tracks Smog Levels
in Indiana Communities
National Archives Source for free Genealogy Aids
Those who do genealogy have another source of information to
turn to. In addition to finding aids that relate to its
collection, the
National Archives (NARA)
publishes a variety of pamphlets on genealogical research that
are available for free. They have several that relate to
genealogical research in general, including how to use the
Census Soundex System and
how to search
land entry files. They
also have pamphlets that relate specifically to NARA holdings
and facilities. To order the free publications,
contact NARA via their
address or phone number. They also have instructions on how to
buy other publications. However, many of the free publications
are also available for download.
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Friday Facts Editorial Team:
Katharine Springer
State Data
Center Coordinator
Elisabeth
O’Donnell
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State
Documents Coordinator
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Join the
FDLP-IN
listserv
for the latest
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Online
Resource Tracks Progress of Federal Legislation
 Patrons who are interested in tracking a piece of legislation from its very
start to if/when it gets passed into law will be interested in
Govtrack.us. Started in 2004, the website assembles information from a
variety of sources, including
THOMAS, and organizes them in an easy-to-find way. You can search by bill
number or even browse by subject area to find out if a bill is still under
consideration, if it’s been modified or if it was abandoned. You can also find
information about your specific
Senators and Representatives, including how they tend to vote, how often
they miss sessions and how many bills they sponsor and co-sponsor. Information
on Congressional Committees and roll call votes are available here, as well.
Interested users can not only visit the website to access this
information, but can also follow
Govtrack.us on Twitter or Facebook.
19th-Century Reports Account for State Legislative History
 “Resolved,
That the Door-keeper be directed to contract with A.E. Drapier &
Son, for six hundred copies of ‘Brevier Legislative Reports,’ of
the proceedings and debates of the present General Assembly,
after the style of their reports in the ‘Legislative
Sentinel”-said reports to be made up from columns of some daily
newspaper printed in the town of Indianapolis…”
The Brevier Legislative Reports were published 1858-1887 and
provided a verbatim account of the legislative history of the
Indiana General Assembly for this time. This is the only time a
legislatively appointed stenographer recorded and published
debates and discussions of the Indiana General Assembly.
Currently, there is no way to get a verbatim account of the
Indiana General Assembly; the House and Senate Journals only
provide procedural documentation of legislation that may contain
some debates. This unique document contains debates and
speeches from the floor of both chambers; vetoes and messages
from the Governor; and finally a detailed record of each bill
introduced in the House and Senate. This resource offers a
rich history of Indiana legislation. Printed copies can be
found in the
Indiana Collection at the
Indiana State Library (328.7 I385) or
digitally at the Indiana
University Maurer School of Law Digital Collections.
IDEM Tool Tracks
Smog Levels in Indiana Communities
 The
Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM) has a great tool to help
citizens stay informed of the air quality in Indiana.
SmogWatch provides daily
updates about
ozone levels, air quality
forecasts, health information, and monitoring for seven regions
of Indiana. If you’ve experienced a summer in Indiana, you
know that Indiana experiences its greatest ozone levels from
mid-May to September. SmogWatch provides an invaluable
resource for people with respiratory conditions which could
become fatal if exposure is constant. Access to the air
quality forecast and health scale is user friendly and easy to
understand. Just click on your region and you’ll be able to
view ozone level and primary pollutant level, which has the
highest potential of health impact.
Click here to view air
quality and interactive maps and data about air quality and
other links.
Click here for more
information and resources on air quality. Remember to watch for
air quality when working or playing outdoors during the summer
season. It could save your life.
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