Campus & Community

Syracuse University First Library to Preserve Government Collections as They Are Published

Monday, June 13, 2022, By Cristina Hatem

Syracuse University Libraries expands its Preservation Steward agreement with the U. S. Government Publishing Office (GPO). Under this agreement, libraries pledge to permanently preserve print collections of historical government publications produced by GPO. Syracuse University Libraries is the first Preservation Steward to agree to preserve new volumes as they are published, as well as the historical volumes.

Under this agreement, Syracuse University Libraries will preserve the following.

  • United States Code from Volume 1 of the 1940 edition through all new volumes as they become available
  • Statutes at Large from Volume 1 (first through fifth Congresses) through all the new volumes as they become available

“GPO congratulates Syracuse University Libraries on being trailblazers in government information and becoming the first library to preserve new volumes of government information as they are published,” said Superintendent of Documents Laurie Hall. “This is a big step forward in providing access to government information today and into the future and realizing GPO’s vision of an America Informed.”

“Syracuse University Libraries has been part of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) for more than 140 years, nearly as long as the University’s founding. We were designated as an FDLP on February 7, 1878 by U.S. Congressional Representative Frank Hiscock. Our Government documents collection includes all types of publications in all formats, and we select 70% of all available documents,” said David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian.

“This is a tremendous resource both to our campus scholars as well as the greater Central New York community. Extending the program to include new volumes of government information as they are published provides the most timely resources to our faculty, students and community members,” says John Olson, librarian for government and geo-information at Syracuse University.

Through the FDLP, GPO works with approximately 1,100 libraries nationwide to provide public access to authentic, published information from all three branches of the federal government in print and electronic formats. The program’s antecedents can be traced back to the act of Congress dated December 27, 1813 (3 Stat. 140). The act provided that one copy of the journals and documents of the Senate and House be sent to each university and college and each historical society in each state. GPO has operated the FDLP since 1895.

GPO is the federal government’s resource for publishing trusted information for the federal government to the American people. 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 Initiative. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov.