The Quiet Crisis in Government Publishing

Abstract

Although the publishing activities of the federal government comprise the most extensive information distribution system in the world, they fall far short of meeting the “information requirements of a highly-educated, industrialized, complex, and space-age society.” Enormous amounts of money are spent annually on printing - some in the GPO, and much outside it - and there is considerable bureaucratic battling over what branch or agency receives priority in getting its publications into print. Documents are sometimes sold and often deposited, but the depository system is so uncomprehensive in scope and so costly to administer in the recipient libraries as to make it at best a mixed blessing. High level attention is badly needed.