Easy Access, Early Exit? The Internet and the FDLP (preprint): GriffinAhrens2004finalpreprint

The article presents information on Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The majority of the twentieth century saw a marked growth in the number of libraries participating in FDLP. The FDLP was established by Congressional resolution on December 27, 1813. On December 1, 1814, the American Antiquarian Society of Worcester, Massachusetts received the first documents distributed to a non-governmental body and became the first depository library. The primary purpose of the program was preservation of the historical record, not dissemination. Staff and funding issues and the availability of resources via the Internet points to the weight that libraries may be placing on the ability to provide information via the Internet on their decisions to remain in or to leave the FDLP. In today's work environment, in which increased productivity is expected and doing more with less is essential, the Internet can be an obvious alternative to physical collections, which require space and greater staff time and resources. In the last decade, the essential association between the ability to provide access to government information and participation in the FDLP has broken down