Federal Government Resources
Federal Depository Program
The Washington State Library has participated in the Government Publishing Office's (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program since its inception over 100 years ago. The State Library was designated as the Regional Depository Library for Washington on May 10, 1965 and Alaska in 1981. Since that time the library has received most federal publications distributed by GPO through the program. The requirements for the program are in Section 19 of Title 44 of the U.S. Code. The formats distributed through the program include printed reports, microfiche, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and maps. The Washington State Library provides public access to this material as well as online publications and services.
Washington and Alaska Depository Libraries:
Popular Topics
- govinfo is a service of the Government Publishing Office and provides free online access to official federal government publications.
- The FDLP Basic Collection is collection of core resources about the workings and essential activities of the U.S. Government.
- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) GPO's finding tool for federal publications
- Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
- Historical Topographic Maps High resolution scans of historical USGS topographic maps printed between 1884 and 2006 are available online from the US Geological Survey (USGS). All scales and editions of US topographic maps are available as a georeferenced digital download or as a printed copy from the USGS Store.
- The National Map, a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners, provides access to base geospatial information to describe the landscape of the United States and its territories. Tools allow users to create on-demand maps to meet a variety of needs.