GPO Library Program Gives Louisiana and Mississippi Citizens Increased Access to Government Information
WASHINGTON — Louisiana and Mississippi libraries in the U.S. Government Publishing
Office (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) are entering into a shared
regional agreement to offer citizens widespread and enhanced access to Government
information. Louisiana State University Libraries, Louisiana Tech University Library, and
the University of Mississippi Libraries now share regional depository responsibilities
across Louisiana and Mississippi. This is the third time that libraries have entered this
type of partnership across State boundaries, and the first that includes three regional
depository libraries, as opposed to two.
“Thank you to Senator Cassidy and Senator Wicker for approving this designation and
supporting our FDLP community and GPO’s long-standing partnership with libraries,”
said GPO Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern. “We are thrilled that these three libraries are
collaborating to offer the people of Louisiana and Mississippi a broader collection of
Government information at their fingertips. The partnership will help GPO increase
accessibility to a larger audience, a major step forward in Keeping America Informed.”
“Libraries are a vital source of information for their communities, and I am glad that
Mississippians and Louisianans will now benefit from this new partnership,” said U. S.
Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-MS). “I look forward to seeing what this collaboration will help
produce.”
“This is an exciting opportunity,” said U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA). “Combining
these three libraries improves public access to information and enhances students’ ability
to learn.”
This change carries important benefits for students, faculty, and researchers. With three
participating libraries, the Louisiana and Mississippi communities now have permanent
public access to triple the amount of Government materials than they did previously.
Librarians have intimate knowledge of the collections of all three institutions, making it
easier for citizens to quickly find the information they need.
The designation is also beneficial to the libraries. Sharing print and digital resources is
cost-effective and enables libraries to reallocate space. Librarians at Louisiana State
University Libraries, Louisiana Tech University Library, and the University of Mississippi
Libraries have open lines of communication and a synergistic network to tap into when
assisting members of the public.
This collaboration across state boundaries is only possible with senatorial approval and
designation of shared regionals for the Federal Depository Library Program, in accordance
with section 1912 of title 44, United States Code. GPO received signed shared regional
designations from Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-MS).
GPO is the Federal Government’s official, digital, secure resource for producing,
procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official
information products of the U.S. Government. The GPO is responsible for the production
and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal
Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official
publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies in digital and print
formats. GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at
no charge through www.govinfo.gov and partnerships with approximately 1,100 libraries
nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more
information, please visit www.gpo.gov.
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