Abstract
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), conceived in the nineteenth century, has served the American people and libraries for 100 years. It has provided free access to government information through a network of depository libraries distributed throughout the country. Currently, Democratic and Republican political leaders advocate reinventing, rethinking, reengineering, and renewing government. Despite significant differences between the political parties on specific changes, there is a consensus vision of a transformed or reinvented national government. What does this mean for the FDLP and access to government information? This essay looks beyond the current debates about specific legislation on the Government Printing Office or funding levels for the FDLP and outlines a vision of a reinvented federal government based on ideas expressed by Alvin and Heidi Toffler, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Vice President Al Gore. This paper identifies the basic challenges that their ideas present for the FDLP and depository libraries. The author concludes that these challenges will move the United States beyond the FDLP as it is presently constituted and will force librarians to rethink fundamentally how they provide access to government information.
Published Version
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