Periodicals/Documents and Microforms

United Nations Documents

Although not an official United Nations depository library, the Hodges Library collection includes many publications from the UN and its subsidiary organs. Currently, the library has a standing order subscription to Readex United Nations documents, 1995-present, located in Periodicals/Documents and Microforms, JX1977.A2. The fiche are arranged by year, then by UN document symbol within each year. A checklist of the documents in this microfiche collection is shelved on top of the fiche cabinet.

There are two main types of UN materials,documents and sales publications:

• Documents are generated to facilitate the work of the UN and its bodies. They are distributed to UN members and depository libraries. Included are: official records (proceedings, resolutions, decisions, meeting records, agendas, etc), and reports of the principal organs. For example, the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization. The UN assigns a symbol to each document. For example A/55/1.

UN documents and official records from 1946-1992 (coverage varies by organ) are in the library’s print collection on the 4th Floor. Documents issued by an organ are classed together as a series. Indexes to Resolutions and Proceedings are included:

• General Assembly: JX1977.A41
• Economic and Social Council: HC 59.A193
• Security Council: JX1977.A515
• Trusteeship Council: JX 4021.U385
• Disarmament Commission: JX 1974.U412
• Trade and Development Board: HF 1410.U58


• Sales Publications created to enhance the work of the UN are made available to the public for purchase. An example of a sales publication is the book: Cities in a Globalizing World: Global Report on Human Settlements. The Library selects and catalogs UN sales publications individually by title.

Search the library's online catalog for publications associated with the UN and its affiliated organizations. Print documents are listed in the online catalog and shelved according to the Library of Congress classification system. Microfiche documents are housed on the 2nd floor in Periodicals/Documents and Microforms.

Indexes/Databases

While Internet resources are generally available to all users, access to most UT Libraries databases is limited to UT students, faculty and staff.

• AccessUN -- Web version. UT has 1998-present.

The AccessUN database is useful for insight on current issues facing the United Nations and for researching information on international security, economic and social development, the environment, disarmament, international law and human rights. It provides access to the documents and publications of all the main United Nations bodies. Also included are articles appearing in UN periodicals and individual treaties in the UN Treaty Series. It provides the full-text of some publications (resolutions, decisions and provisional verbatim records from plenary meetings), or links to full-text materials on-line. Selected provisional verbatim and summary records documents, which contain voting records of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, are added to the database in reverse chronological order (1990-onward). The database provides complete bibliographic citations of UN publications. To find fiche make a note of the "Readex Year" and document symbol for any materials of interest.

• Index to United Nations Documents and Publications -- 1990-

Networked CD-ROM index received with the Readex microfiche set in Periodicals/Documents and Microforms. It provides access materials before 1998 as coverage for the web product AccessUN begins in 1998.

• LexisNexis Statistical 1983-

Provides the interface to the Index to International Statistics (IIS). IIS indexes approximately 2,000 statistical titles from some 100 international inter-governmental organizations. A list of the UN agencies indexed in IIS is available in Sources Covered by Index to International Statistics. UN documents with demographic, economic and social statistics are indexed in IIS, including sales publications and documents of the General Assembly and its sub-bodies. Select Search Abstracts, limit to IIS, then search by subject or keyword and "united nations." The full-text on microfiche is available in Periodicals/DocMic. IIS fiche are filed by record number. For example, Record Number: IIS 2001 3000-D606.

• United Nations Common Database (UNCDB)

Selected data series from over 30 specialized UN international data sources.

• United Nations - Official Documents (ODS) 1993-

Full text of UN official documents since 1993.

• UNBISnet 1979-

UN Bibliographic Information System that provides access to UN publications, including resolutions, voting records and speeches.

• UN Pulse: Connecting to UN Information Online

Offers access to UN actions and major reports. Good resource for newly released information and full text of UN materials.

• InfoNation

United Nations database that allows viewing and comparison of the most up-to-date statistical data for the member states of the United Nations. The first menu allows selection of up to seven countries. The data menu allows selection of multiple statistical data fields.

Print indexes

Indexes for 1946-1996:

• United Nations Documents Index (UNDI)
  Volumes for 1950-1973, Hodges Stacks Z6482.U453


• UNDEX: United Nations Document Index, ST/LIB/Ser.M,
  1974-1978, Hodges Stacks Z6482.U453


• UNDOC: Current Index, ST/LIB/Ser.M,
  1978-1983 Hodges Stacks Z6482.U453

Annual Cumulative indexes for 1984-1996 on microfiche in Periodicals/DocMic

Other Resources

• UN Press Releases Full Text Search

Since official documents take time to print and publish, press releases are the best source for recent information. Press releases give information about meetings and frequently include the full text of the resolutions and statements agreed upon at the meeting. In addition, compilations of resolutions for the General Assembly (regular, special and emergency special sessions) and the Security Council are produced well in advance of the official record containing the same material.

• United Nations System Pathfinder

Produced by the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library, the purpose of the pathfinder is to identify major publications of the organizations comprising the United Nations system. Materials were selected with a view to currency, relevance and usefulness. Global studies and reports, handbooks and guides, bibliographies and indices, international statistical publications, compilations of treaties, resolutions and documents as well as annual reports of UN bodies and specialized agencies are included.

• Charter of the United Nations

Fulltext is provided via the UN Web page.

• UN Chronicle

Quarterly news magazine published by the UN Department of Public Information. Hodges Library JX1977.A1 U564 also available online (UT only)

• United Nations Treaty Collection

A subscription service with some materials accessible for free. The overview provides a description of database contents.

• Hein Online

Treaties and Agreements Library provides to international treaties to which the United States is a signatory.

• Statistical Yearbook of the League of Nations, 1926-1944 (Northwestern University)