Government Printing, Publications, and Digital Information Management: Issues and Challenges

"In the past half-century, in government and beyond, information creation, distribution, retention, and preservation activities have transitioned from a tangible, paper-based process to digital processes managed through computerized information technologies. Information is created as a digital object which then may be rendered as a text, image, or video file. Those files are then distributed through a myriad of outlets ranging from particular software application and websites to social media platforms. The material may be produced in tangible, printed form, but typically remains in digital formats.

The Government Publishing Office (GPO) is a legislative branch agency that serves all three branches of the national government as a centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published information. The agency is overseen by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) which in 1895 was charged with overseeing and regulating U.S. government printing. GPO operates on the basis of a number of statutory authorities first granted in the 19th and 20th centuries that presume the existence of government information in an ink-on-paper format, because no other format existed when those authorities were enacted. GPO’s activities include the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), which provides permanent public access to published federal government information, and which last received legislative consideration in 1962..."
Government Publicaitons

U.S. Government Printing Office publicattions accessible via Digital Public Library of America

Find more than 148,00 federal government publications from the U.S. Government Printing Office accessible via the  Digital Public  Library of America
GPO and Digital Public Library

Retaining and Preserving Federal Records in a Digital Environment: Background and Issues for Congress

"All federal departments and agencies create federal records “in connection with the transaction of

public business.” The Federal Records Act, as amended (44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33),

requires executive branch departments and agencies to collect, retain, and preserve federal

records, which provide the Administration, Congress, and the public with a history of public-

policy execution and its results..."

Retaining Federal Records

Federal Depository Library Program: Issues for Congress

"The transition to digital information raises a number of issues of possible interest to Congress. This report discusses those possible concerns as they affect FDLP , but also extend beyond the program to variety of contexts related to the management of government information in tangible and digital forms. Issues include the following: maintenance and availability of the FDLP tangible collection; retention and preservation of digital information; access to FDLP resources; authenticity and accuracy of digital material; robustness of the FDLP Electronic Collection; and the cost of FDLP and other government information distribution initiatives..."

Keeping America Informed: the U.S. Government Printing Office

2011 Annual report of the U.S. Government Printing Office.