Tucked away on the second floor of the library is a collection that began 100 years ago this month. This collection is the United States Government Documents collection, provided freely to Arkansas Tech as part of national program called the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). 
Administered by the Government Publishing Office, the FDLP distributes the congressional bills, laws, regulations, presidential documents, reports, and statistics to 1,150 libraries across the country. These libraries are known as “depository” libraries—a distinction that Arkansas Tech’s Library has held for 100 years, making us the 3rd oldest depository library in Arkansas.
As a depository library, we are committed to accepting, retaining, and maintaining a selection of the publications of the federal government. Currently, this includes 40,145 physical titles in various formats including books, serial publications, maps, CD-ROMS, microfiche, and games. It also includes 49,737 electronic resources searchable within our Find It online database.
Government information remains of the most reliable sources of accurate information about the country. Not only does it encompass the laws and regulations of the county, it also includes the reports from various government agencies and services such as NASA, the National Park Service, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. You can find information about the scientific studies, cultural exchange programs, foreign aid services, scholarships, census data, and health programs paid for with your taxpayer dollars.
Who can access this information? Anyone. All citizens, regardless of status at ATU are free to use the collection and access the electronic resources. Depository libraries like us play an important role in providing federal government information to the public. And we’ve been doing it for a loooooong time.
If navigating such a collection seems overwhelming, we’ve got you covered with a handy research guide to government information both here in the library and out there on the internet. You can also email or make an appointment with our government information expert in chief, Charity Park. You can also come check-out a selection of government document materials now on the first floor.
