COSELL Roundtable
2004 SEAALL Annual Meeting, Richmond, VA

The Pros and Cons of Federal Documents Depository Status
Susan Lewis-Somers

Summary of Meeting

COSELL sponsored a roundtable at the 2004 SEAALL Annual Meeting to discuss the relative merits and liabilities of law library participation in the Government Printing Office (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Susan Lewis-Somers of American University moderated he roundtable, which was attended by 12 other librarians.

Mary Alice Baish, AALL Associate Washington Affairs Representative, made the case for libraries to remain in the federal depository program. She argued that as law libraries drop their status as depository libraries, there is less reason for GPO to continue publishing its law titles, such as the U.S. Code, Congressional Record and the Federal Register, in paper for the general public. Mary Alice also made the case that law libraries have an obligation to provide public access to government information.

Iris Lee of George Washington University, which left the federal depository program several years ago, pointed out some of the reasons her library felt compelled to do so. Some of those reasons were specific to the circumstances of GWU. Iris explained that her library restricts access to the GWU Law School community because of its limited space and that the access requirements of the depository program made it difficult to limit access to outsiders. In addition, there are many other federal depository libraries close by in downtown Washington, DC. Furthermore, Iris explained that the dean of the GWU Law School agreed to fully fund the amount needed to purchase essential titles the library would no longer obtain on deposit through the program.

The roundtable participants joined in a lively discussion of the points made by Mary Alice and Iris. While several said their libraries might consider leaving the federal depository program, most indicated that their libraries would continue as participants in the program.

Reported by Susan Lewis-Somers
Senior Reference and Educational Services Librarian
Washington College of Law Library, American University

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