This month McFarlin celebrates its 95th anniversary of being a partner site for the Federal Depository Library Program (aka FDLP). Unlike the general collection in McFarlin Library, the FDLP documents are publicly accessible. To better understand how the program works, I spoke with our FDLP librarian in residence, Rhoen Dellinger, who is currently responsible for helping TU and community patrons access government documents.
Rhoen provided background on the Federal Depository Library Program, and McFarlin's role as a depository site.
Government resources provide information on health, careers, business opportunities, science, technology, the military and much more. Depository libraries provide the public access to current and historical information, assistance in locating information, educational opportunities, and help to preserve public memory. The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established in 1813 to ensure that government information is accessible to the American public via depository libraries throughout the U.S. and its territories. Initially the program was headed by the U.S. Secretary of State and the information was distributed through Congressional journals.
Today, the Government Publishing Office oversees the FDLP. The FDLP has been a part of the Government Publishing Office since 1895. McFarlin has been a partial depository since January 10, 1929. Typically, a member of Congress designates a library for entry into the FDLP. From 1979 to mid-2015, McFarlin served as a depository for publications produced by the state of Oklahoma and received via the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse unit of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.
There are two types of depository libraries, regional and selective. A regional library is responsible for retaining a copy of all government publications received and provides services like interlibrary loans and reference to the selective depository libraries it serves. A selective depository library chooses to receive certain classes of documents from the government that best serve their clientele. McFarlin is a selective depository that serves Oklahoma State University’s Edmond Low Library, which is the regional depository for Oklahoma. Many depository libraries work together to provide people with a variety of resources, both current and historical.
Currently, McFarlin is making the transition to a digital depository, which means that government documents must be accessible online. The Government Documents collection at McFarlin is built to support the curricular and research needs of the University’s undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and the greater Tulsa community. This transition ensures that our collection is accessible via several different websites, databases, and the library’s online catalog. With so many options, users can access the collection from anywhere. Changes in information seeking behaviors and the internet have changed the way the FDLP operates. The demand for physical collections is decreasing now that federal agencies are starting to publish public information online.
Working with Federal Documents may not sound like the most exciting task for a librarian, but Rhoen does not discredit the importance of her work with the program. In fact, she sees it as a great asset to both the TU and greater Tulsa communities. One of the primary functions of Rhoen's position is to get people interested in government documents and make it easier for them to find these resources. Though many government agencies have dedicated websites to share documentation, minutes, or updates, the depository is more than that. Rhoen explained that “the FDLP makes it easier for people to discover different kinds of governmental assistance and services that are available to them. There are of course things like Congressional Bills, Presidential Papers, and other publications by government agencies as well. The FDLP informs the public while also protects public memory. Each depository has items or collections that are unique and can’t be found at every depository library. Depositories benefit local communities and the public by maintaining records whether they be published today or 100 years ago.”
Like me, you may wonder what people are looking for when they access documents from the FDLP. The most common access requests are for historical government documents, many of which are difficult to find through something like a Google search. However, users of the FDLP collections are not just looking for older iterations of a house bill or a state statute, they are also looking for documents on careers, health, and legal or regulatory information. “People can use these documents to get things like unemployment, health insurance, and other kinds of assistance programs,” Rhoen stated. With access to information that can help with research and daily living, it's surprising to me that more people are not taking advantage of this service. Though most FDLP programs are moving to online access, this format can actually present a barrier. For example, people who need information on unemployment may not have consistent internet access, and the map of FDLP locations is only found online. This means that “its entirely possible that people are just unfamiliar with the program altogether. Which is understandable because it’s not really advertised in a way that might interest people.”
How can we raise awareness about the excellent resources contained in the FDLP? Well, it starts with information like you'll find in this post. Sharing knowledge of its existence is the first step. And now that you know it exists, check out the new government documents Libguide. The best place to start is the ‘Basic Collection,’ which lists websites that are available for anyone to freely use. Or, just reach out to McFarlin. Librarians like Rhoen are here to help , and don’t want you to be afraid to ask for research assistance or give us your feedback.
As I always try to do, I ended my chat with Rhoen by asking for something interesting she has come across while working with the FDLP collection at McFarlin. Though there are a large number of interesting finds in the collection, the most surprising has been items a person may not see as traditional “government documents.” Rhoen said the items that shocked her the most were pop culture related: coloring and activity books, comics, recipes, etc. “I came across a cartoon illustrated by Dr. Suess for the U.S. Army that’s kind of strange. It’s called ‘This is Ann… She drinks blood!’ It follows a mosquito named Ann that has Malaria and explains what can be done to prevent it from spreading.” Like any great librarian, Rhoen shared links to Ann and other interesting finds in the collection.