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The Superintendent of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, is responsible for administering the Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries, required by 44 U.S.C. § 1909. The Biennial Survey provides GPO with important information concerning the conditions of both individual depository libraries and the depository library program as a whole. This data is used to administer the program and to assist in the assessments of the conditions and services of depository libraries.
All Depository Libraries are legally required to complete this survey.
The 2011 Biennial Survey will be conducted from September 30 through October 31, 2011.
GPO maintains Biennial Survey information in the official record of each depository. This information should also be kept by each depository library and passed on to successive depository staff members. GPO has posted the reports and data files for the most recent Biennial Surveys on the FDLP Desktop. Earlier information is available by contacting GPO.
Data received from the Survey has many uses to the community and to GPO.
Examples of Library Community Uses
- Source of official data about the FDLP for researchers
- Helps regional libraries understand the situations of their selective libraries
- Helps depositories compare their operation with peer libraries or libraries in their geographic area
- Identification of subject focus/expertise at individual depository libraries
- Identify trends
Examples of GPO Uses
- Satisfy legal requirements of 44 USC §1909
- Source of official data approved by the library director
- Public Access Assessments
- Identify common issues or needs
- Identify trends
GPO develops Biennial Survey questions in consultation with the Depository Library Council and comments from other members of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) community. Recent Biennial Surveys have included a more or less standard core group of questions that allows for analysis across surveys. To that core group of questions, new questions are added and/or some old question deleted as necessary for each new survey.
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