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Federal Depository Library Program

A Partnership library program of the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO)

Enabling Legislation

Title 44, Chapter 19, of the U.S. Code gives the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) responsibility for acquiring, classifying, cataloging, distributing to libraries and ensuring the preservation of Federal Government information products

Title 44, Sections 1901-1903 of the U.S. Code and OMB Circular A-130 requires Federal agencies to make all their publications in all formats available to SuDocs for distribution to depository libraries.

Federal Depository Library Program makes information produced by federal agencies available for public access at no-fee.

Library Access through 1,250 depository libraries; 24 in Tennessee

Internet Access through GPO Access for online electronic federal information at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov

Centralized bibliographic control is maintained through the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications located at: http://catalog.gpo.gov/F

Historical Highlights

  • 1813: Act Authorized distribution of one copy of House and Senate Journals to select university and state libraries and historical institutions; Secretary of State responsible for distribution
  • 1814: American Antiquarian Society earliest known depository
  • 1852: Printing Act. Appointed a Superintendent of Public Printing within the Department of the Interior
  • 1860: Printing Act
    • Established Government Printing Office (GPO) in the legislative branch to consolidate Congressional printing
    • Authorized Superintendent of Public Printing to administer a Government printing program
  • 1861: March 4, Government Printing Office and President Abraham Lincoln inaugurated on same day

  • 1869: Appropriations Act established a Superintendent of Documents within Department of the Interior
    Tennessee returns to the Union.
    East Tennessee University is designated by the State as its federal land-grant institution

  • 1873: University of the South, Sewanee, designated the first senatorial depository Library in the State of Tennessee.

  • 1895: Printing Act of (antecedent of Title 44 of the United States Code): Landmark legislation was a comprehensive and substantive revision of public printing laws. Transferred Office of Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) to Government Printing Office from Interior.
  • 1895: First Monthly Catalog appeared; 420 libraries participating in system
  • 1895-1903: SuDocs classification system developed by GPO librarian Adelaide Hasse

  • 1895-1897: Sometime during this period, Tennessee State University Library (UT) was designated as a Congressional District depository by a member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation. (Annual Report of the Public Printer for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1897.) The exact date of the initial designation cannot be substantiated.
    Edwin Wiley, University Librarian, 1892–1899.

  • 1907: Land-grant colleges added to the depository system.
    University of Tennessee re-designated as a land grant depository, effective March 1, 1907.
    Sabra Vought, University Librarian, 1901 - 1910.
  • 1962: Depository Library Act
    • Increased to two the number of depository libraries permitted per congressional district
    • Authorized establishment of regional depositories
    • Provided for distribution of non-GPO publications

  • 1978: Law libraries added to system including the University of Tennessee Law Library.

  • 1988: First CD-ROM (Census Bureau) distributed to depository libraries

  • 1990: Senator Albert Gore, Jr. is interviewed by Angie LeClercq, Special Assistant to the Dean of Libraries, University of Tennessee Libraries, on the impact of electronic dissemination of government information.
  • 1993: Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 enacted (Public Law 103-40) "GPO Access Law"
  • 1994: GPO Access service launched; available by subscription, free to depositories.
    University of Tennessee Libraries develops a “Local Gateway Web site” to GPO databases.

  • 1995: Centennial year of Federal Depository Library Program
    GPO Access free to all users.

  • 1996: GPO releases Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program; outlines a transition to a predominantly electronic depository library program.
  • 1998: GPO releases Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document.

  • 2006:  University Libraries selects federal government publications in digital format. Moves SuDocs classification federal depository documents collection into Storage.

  • 2007: Centennial year for the University of Tennessee and other land-grant depositories. 1,250 depository libraries in system.
    Barbara Dewey, Dean of Libraries.

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About Periodicals/Government Documents and Microforms

Phone:865-974-6870; 974-6886
Fax:865-974-3635

120 A Hodges Library
1015 Volunteer Blvd.
Knoxville,TN 37996-1000

Librarian: Janette Prescod