"Essential Titles for Public Use in Paper or Other Tangible Format” Archived

The Essential Titles for Public Use in Paper or Other Tangible Format list has been moved from Collections and Databases to the Historical Publications section of the File Repository on FDLP.gov.

The Essential Titles list was originally created in 1996 as a collection that the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) planned to continue disseminating in tangible format in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The list was comprised of titles of U.S. Government information resources deemed essential to the conduct of government.

During the transition to a more electronic FDLP, the list reflected GPO’s commitment to distribute certain titles in tangible format indefinitely. Over time, as agencies transitioned more publications to online-only format, GPO could no longer guarantee tangible printing and distribution of all resources on the list. As a result, the Essential Titles list no longer served its intended purpose.

Libraries looking for key publications that support the public’s right to know about the workings and essential activities of the U.S. Government should refer to the FDLP Basic Collection. The FDLP Basic Collection indicates which titles are available in both print and online formats. GPO provides a bibliographic record set for online versions of the Basic Collection on the CGP on GitHub repository.

Please direct any questions about Essential Titles to Caroline Hassler.