Recently posted on the GOVDOC listserv by Andrea Sevetson of LexisNexis:
In its latest step to create the most comprehensive and authoritative online collection of congressional information available, LexisNexis(r) announces today its plan to digitize the bound Congressional Record and its three predecessors. These four titles, the Congressional Record (1873-to date), the Annals of Congress (1789-1824), the Register of Debates (1825-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1838-1873) cover all the concerns of the day, provide researchers with a unique perspective on American history, and are considered key primary resources for research in American history, pubic policy, business and economics, politics, international relations, and the law.
The product will provide full text searching, as well as controlled subject, speaker, public law, and bill number searching. Offered through the LexisNexis(r) Congressional interface users will be able to search these titles separately or in conjunction with other LexisNexis Congressional Digital Collections they own, such as hearings, congressional prints, CRS reports, and the Serial Set. “Imagine the new avenues for scholarship that will be uncovered for researchers in a service that allows them to find all relevant hearings, debate, and reports on a topic or a piece of legislation,” said Tim Fusco, Vice President of Publishing Operations for LexisNexis Government and Academic Markets. “Our superior indexing and our commitment to make logical linkages between legislative documents will make it easier for even the most adept researcher to find relevant information across this huge collection of congressional documentation.” The product is scheduled to launch in early 2008. [drc]