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Homeland Security Digital Library

A How-To Guide to Searching Homeland Security-Related Content within the Homeland Security Digital Library Database

Content Overview

Within the HSDL Library, users can browse policy and strategy documents from the three branches of government as well as from major federal agencies. This content is searchable from the 1940s to the present. Users may search homeland security-related documents such as Executive Orders (EOs) and Presidential Directives (PDs, PDDs, and HSPDs). 

Select 'Policy & Strategy Documents' from the Table of Contents to the left for more detailed information about the following sections: 

  1. The All Sections link provides an overview of the content searchable within this collection. 
  2. General U.S. Policy Documents features a list of full-text policy documents.
  3. The Key Legislation section provides a browsable list of homeland security-related legislation organized by topic. 
  4. Browse National Security Documents by topic. 
  5. The Presidential Documents: EOs and PDs section allows users to browse documents or search by keyword. 

 

The HSDL database offers access to various special collections. These collections are subject to change, but as of the publication of this guide, including the following: 

Select 'Special Collections' from the Table of Contents to the left for more detailed information about the following sections: 

  1. The All Sections link provides an overview of the content searchable within this collection. 
  2. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): New collection featuring homeland security-related content about the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
  3. The CRS Reports & Issue Briefs collection provides content from the Congressional Research Service. 
  4. Search reports available from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). 
  5. The Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS) collection provides access to 23,000 resources transferred from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), such as lessons learned, innovative practices, after-action reports, plans, templates, guides, and other related materials. 
  6. Browse the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) student theses and research reports.
  7. This Restricted Collection is only available to U.S. government officials or active members of the U.S. military. It is a repository of sensitive material from the national, state, and local fusion centers, threat analysis centers, and law enforcement organizations. Click here to determine access eligibility. 

The HSDL database offers homeland security-related resources for over thirty various topics ranging from Active Shooters to the Opioid Crisis to Social Media Use in Emergencies to Wildfires. 

Select 'Featured Topics' on the Table of Contents to the left to get a closer look at a topic page.