GPO LIBRARY PROGRAM GIVES LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI CITIZENS INCREASED ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

  • Last Updated: December 31, 1969
  • Published: November 16, 2021

Louisiana and Mississippi libraries in the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) are entering into a shared regional agreement to offer citizens widespread and enhanced access to Government information. Louisiana State University Libraries, Louisiana Tech University Library, and the University of Mississippi Libraries now share regional depository responsibilities across Louisiana and Mississippi. This is the third time that libraries have entered this type of partnership across State boundaries, and the first that includes three regional depository libraries, as opposed to two.

“Thank you to Senator Cassidy and Senator Wicker for approving this designation and supporting our FDLP community and GPO’s long-standing partnership with libraries,” said GPO Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern. “We are thrilled that these three libraries are collaborating to offer the people of Louisiana and Mississippi a broader collection of Government information at their fingertips. The partnership will help GPO increase accessibility to a larger audience, a major step forward in Keeping America Informed.”

“Libraries are a vital source of information for their communities, and I am glad that Mississippians and Louisianans will now benefit from this new partnership,” said U. S. Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-MS). “I look forward to seeing what this collaboration will help produce.”

“This is an exciting opportunity,” said U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA). “Combining these three libraries improves public access to information and enhances students’ ability to learn.”

This change carries important benefits for students, faculty, and researchers. With three participating libraries, the Louisiana and Mississippi communities now have permanent public access to triple the amount of Government materials than they did previously. Librarians have intimate knowledge of the collections of all three institutions, making it easier for citizens to quickly find the information they need.

The designation is also beneficial to the libraries. Sharing print and digital resources is cost-effective and enables libraries to reallocate space. Librarians at Louisiana State University Libraries, Louisiana Tech University Library, and the University of Mississippi Libraries have open lines of communication and a synergistic network to tap into when assisting members of the public.

This collaboration across state boundaries is only possible with senatorial approval and designation of shared regionals for the Federal Depository Library Program, in accordance with section 1912 of title 44, United States Code. GPO received signed shared regional designations from Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-MS).