Federal depository library

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is a government program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of June 2008, there were 1,252 depository libraries in the United States and its territories. A "government publication" is defined in the U.S. Code as "informational matter which is published as an individual document at Government expense, or as required by law" (44 U.S.C. 1901).

The groundwork for the FDLP was established by an 1813 Congressional Joint Resolution ordering that certain publications be distributed to libraries outside of the federal government. Initially, the librarian of the Library of Congress was responsible for running this program, but the responsibility shifted to the Secretary of the Interior in the 1850s.

The Printing Act of 1895 revised public printing laws and established the roles of the FDLP and the Government Printing Office (GPO) in distributing government information. This act also assigned leadership of the program to the Superintendent of Public Documents, who would be under the control of the GPO and added executive documents to the distribution list.

The Depository Library Act of 1962 (DLA) created the present-day FDLP as codified in Title 44, Chapter 19 of the U.S. Code. The DLA allowed two depository libraries in each Congressional district, eliminated postage charges to depository libraries receiving material, provided for the distribution of non-GPO documents, permitted independent federal agencies to be eligible for depository designation, and created regional depository libraries.

The Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-40), codified in Title 44, Chapter 41 of the U.S. Code, requires the Superintendent of Documents to maintain an electronic directory of federal electronic information, provide online access to the Congressional Record, Federal Register and other select publications, and operate an electronic storage facility. The electronic service now includes over 2,200 databases and is available via the Federal Digital System, or FDsys (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ formerly GPO Access).

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