Federal Depository Confusion

I have heard the term “federal depository library” thrown around many times, but until recently I only had a vague understanding of what that designation truly meant. I am fortunate to work in an academic library that also serves as a federal depository for government documents and I am continually amazed (and intimidated) by the huge collection of documents. That being said, I still didn’t fully understand the principles behind a federal depository library.

So, I did a little research and here is what I found…

The idea for a Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) began in 1813 when Congress passed a joint resolution to have copies of the House and Senate Journals (and other miscellaneous publications) printed and distributed to non-government libraries as a way to ensure that the American people had access to government information. Today, the FDLP has over 1,250 libraries of all shapes and sizes located across the country.

The FDLP is based upon these three principles:

* Federal Government information products within scope of the FDLP shall be made available to Federal depository libraries
* Federal depository libraries shall be located in each State and U.S. Congressional District to make Government information products more widely available
* Federal Government information in all media shall be available for the free use by the general public. (http://www.fdlp.gov/administration/handbook/160-introduction)

Apparently, the Government Printing Office (GPO) makes copies of government material and loans it to depository libraries. This material is still the property of the US Government, but is entrusted to depository libraries with the understanding that the library will facilitate public access. The main goal of depository libraries in Montana is to assure that government publications are accessible to all residents of Montana.