Government information is a term used to categorize any information disseminated by a government agency. This includes material produced by government bodies at all geographic levels—local, state, federal, and international—as well as government-funded institutions. These resources are published in all formats (paper, microform, and electronic) and include data, statistics, books, maps, articles, laws, regulations, patents, and trademarks.
U.S. Code (44 U.S.C. 1901) defines a government document as "...informational matter which is published as an individual document at government expense or as required by law.”
Every governmental division produces documents, images, or artifacts that belong to the citizens of the United States and can be accessed through a variety of means online, by written request, through the Freedom of Information Act [FOIA], or by walking into many institutions and using their libraries or other resource station.
There are over 1,100 designated Federal depository libraries (FDLs) located in 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Federated States of Micronesia and U.S. territories. The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) distributes Government information free of cost to these libraries, and the libraries provide free access for all users to this information. In addition, information specialists are available at these libraries to assist researchers with locating Federal information. Contact Kelley Center or use the link below to access the online Federal Depository Library Directory to find a FDLP near you for assistance.
FDLD Basic Search:
Search based on any keyword (e.g. state or city, library name, zip code, etc.)
