Prepared by SOAR

Depository libraries benefit because the Federal Depository Library Program:

• Enhances the status of the institution through:

• greater service to & resources for the entire community
• political good will of the Congressional delegation
• a public collection of government information, employing knowledgeable people to serve that collection

• Raises the level of visibility and status of the entire library locally, regionally, and nationally
• Provides primary source material that is invaluable to researchers
• Links a community of government information professionals who understand governmental organizational structure, the information publishing practices of governmental agencies, and the multiple contexts in which these agencies produce this information
• Provides a centralized process for locating, acquiring, cataloging, and disseminating information produced by the various government entities
• Automatically distributes publications that libraries may otherwise find difficult to obtain, due either to price or availability
• Pushes member libraries to the forefront of technology
• Raises the service level of the library in order to comply with FDLP standards
• Produces guides such as the "Recommended Specifications for Public Workstations" that help to ensure that library workstations are always up-to-date
• Provides information & training with programs such as the Interagency Seminar and the Depository Library Conference
• Extends limited book budgets by providing valuable material at no cost
• Supplies materials that support various curriculum areas
• Distributes regular updates on government information issues from the GPO, other government agencies, and other entities
• Enables libraries to have input in the policies and procedures of the Federal Depository Library Program
• Allows indefinite retention of the Federal depository collection, whereas libraries leaving the program may be required to dismantle it