In February 2024, the Government Publishing Office announced their intention to transition to a Digital Federal Depository Library Program. The change came in response to two questions directed at the agency: “Can GPO transition to a digital FDLP?” and “Should they?” GPO answered “Yes” to both.

What does that mean? What will change? The biggest change moving forward is the primary medium for information will now be digital, not print. Depository libraries will no longer be able to collect everything published in print. The information is still accessible to anyone, just online. Federal document librarians can help navigate the sea of change. Accessing government information is easier than ever, one just needs to know where to look.

Two great resources for accessing federal information are GovInfo.gov and USA.gov. GovInfo, which is produced by GPO, provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. The site does more than just allow public access. GovInfo is also a content management system, designed to ensure security and integrity of information, and a digital repository that will allow information to be preserved for generations. The site is ideal for researchers looking for documents from Congress, the President or federal agencies.

USA.gov is the official website of the U.S. government, and a great resource for those trying to find information on services provided by the federal government. The site is great for finding out how to get a passport, register to vote, check the status of tax returns, apply for a government job, learn about government benefits or anything about the government. The search engine on USA.gov allows users to search for information on any government site, .gov sites, which ensures results are from trusted reliable sources.

Both resources are excellent resources to use to find government information. Government documents librarians are also great resources to assist research. Federal depository libraries like the Indiana State Library all have a full-time staff member who specializes in government documents.

This blog post was written by Indiana State Library federal documents coordinator Brent Abercrombie. For more information, contact the Reference and Government Services at 317-232-3678 or via “Ask-A-Librarian.”