WebJunction

Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/about.html

Our free and democratic government requires an informed citizenry. In an effort to assure free public access to government information, Congress established the Federal Depository Library Program. The mission of the FDLP is to disseminate information products from all three branches of the Government to over 1,250 libraries nationwide. Libraries that have been designated as Federal depositories maintain these information products as part of their existing collections and are responsible for assuring that the public has free access to the material provided by the FDLP. Since 1813, depository libraries have safeguarded the public's right to know by collecting, organizing, maintaining, preserving, and assisting users with information from the Federal Government.

As institutions committed to equity of access and dedicated to free and unrestricted public use, the nation's nearly 1,250 depository libraries serve as one of the vital links between "We the people" and our Government. Anyone can visit Federal depository libraries and use the Federal depository collections which are filled with information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and numerous other subjects. (Information from http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fdlp.html - visit to learn more.)

The librarians charged with managing these library collections are skilled and interested in helping others use the world of government information. They also support access to the growing world of electronic information produced by the government. FDLP libraries can be found at http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/FDLPdir.jsp.

Exercise: Find all of the depository libraries in your state and see which one(s) might be closest to you. (Homework - you might consider contacting this library to see if you can visit or learn more about their resources; also see their online presence - they may have finding aids and other local information worth knowing about.)