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28-618: The groundwork for the FDLP was established by an 1813 Congressional Joint Resolution ordering that certain publications be distributed to libraries outside of the federal government. Initially, the Librarian of Congress was responsible for running this program, but the responsibility shifted to the Secretary of the Interior in the 1850s. The Printing Act of 1895 revised public printing laws and established

56-462: A depository library, or it may be stripped of its depository status by the Superintendent of Documents if it does not carry out its responsibilities as enumerated in the U.S. Code. In either case, the library must properly dispose of the government documents it acquired while part of the program as these publications are the property of the U.S. Government. The documents would generally be returned to

84-557: A suitable place in the Capitol in which to house them, a joint committee to make rules for their selection, acquisition, and circulation", as well as an appropriation of $ 5,000 for the new library. In 1802, two years after the creation of the library, President Thomas Jefferson approved a congressional act that created the Office of the Librarian and granted the president power of appointment over

112-424: Is rare in national institutions". In 2015, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law the "Librarian of Congress Succession Modernization Act of 2015", which put a 10-year term limit on the position with an option for reappointment. The legislation was seen as a critique of Librarian James H. Billington 's unwillingness to hire a permanent chief information officer to effectively manage and update

140-588: The Digital Millennium Copyright Act . The librarian determines whether particular works are subject to DMCA prohibitions regarding technological access protection. In addition, the librarian appoints the U.S. poet laureate and awards the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song . On July 13, 2016, the US Senate confirmed President Barack Obama 's nomination of Carla Hayden as the librarian, and she

168-500: The American Library Association. From its creation until 2015, the post of the librarian was not subject to term limits and allowed incumbents to maintain a lifetime appointment once confirmed. Most librarians of Congress have served until death or retirement. There were only 13 librarians of Congress in the more than two centuries from 1802 to 2015, and the library "enjoyed a continuity of atmosphere and of policy that

196-713: The FDLP program. Librarian of Congress The librarian of Congress is the head of the Library of Congress , appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate , for a term of ten years. The librarian of Congress also appoints and oversees the Register of Copyrights of the U.S. Copyright Office and has broad responsibilities around copyright , extending to electronic resources and fair use provisions outlined in

224-452: The FDLP website was hacked and defaced with pro-Iranian/anti-US messaging in response to the American airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani , the commander of Iran's Quds Force . The FDLP site was taken offline, then restored the next day following a security analysis . The Government Publishing Office (GPO) is responsible for printing and distributing government documents and overseeing

252-484: The FDLP. There are several important individuals in charge of maintaining the link between GPO and the FDLP: There are two types of depository libraries: There are two ways in which a library may qualify for FDLP status: Libraries with depository status are required to provide the documents received at no cost to their patrons. Though they receive the publications free of charge, depository libraries are responsible for

280-466: The U.S. Code, requires the Superintendent of Documents to maintain an electronic directory of federal electronic information, provide online access to the Congressional Record , Federal Register and other select publications, and operate an electronic storage facility. The electronic service now includes over 2,200 databases and is available via http://www.govinfo.gov . On January 4, 2020,

308-525: The U.S. Code. The DLA allowed two depository libraries in each Congressional district , eliminated postage charges to depository libraries receiving material, provided for the distribution of non-GPO documents, permitted independent federal agencies to be eligible for depository designation, and created regional depository libraries. The Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-40), codified in Title 44, Chapter 41 of

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336-408: The costs of processing the items and making them available. All depository libraries must make their collections of these documents available to the general public, and the services provided for government documents must be on par with the services offered to the primary users of a library. Circulation policies for government documents, however, are established by each library itself. Libraries may house

364-551: The disposal of depository publications. After 1996, government publications increasingly shifted to online formats; in addition, most Federal publications now originate online. Regional libraries still continue to collect information in a wide variety of formats, but many government documents are now published exclusively online. Electronic documents positively impact issues such as storage, length of retention, and access, which can be enhanced with library networking. Libraries may substitute electronic documents for tangible documents as

392-560: The equivalent of the rate of pay set by Level II of the Executive Schedule. There are no laws or regulations delineating qualifications for the office holder. The position of librarian of Congress has been held by candidates of different backgrounds, interests, and talents, throughout its history. Politicians, businessmen, authors, poets, lawyers, and professional librarians have served as the Librarian of Congress. However, at various times there have been proposals for requirements for

420-458: The library's information technology . According to Section 136-1 of Title 2 of the U.S.C., the Librarian of Congress shall be appointed to office by a nomination from the president and the advice and consent of the Senate. The librarian may then serve for a term of 10 years and be reappointed to the post with the same procedure. The Librarian of Congress shall be compensated for his/her services with

448-459: The library's staff. Up until the nomination of Herbert Putnam in 1899 under President McKinley , all previous librarians lacked any prior experience in the profession of librarianship; these librarians had held roles in journalism, law, writing, publishing, and politics. Even to this day, only three librarians – four including acting librarian David S. Mao in 2015 – have worked in the librarian field, despite several instances of opposition from

476-502: The materials however they like; for example, they may separate the government documents from the rest of their collection or they may integrate them. A library cannot filter Internet search results at public access stations as access to health or biological science articles may not be infringed upon. Depository libraries must maintain collections of at least 10,000 books , not including the collection of government documents. A depository library may voluntarily resign from its position as

504-571: The materials of scholarship and organizing them for use—in short, a distinguished librarian". In 1989, Congressman Major Owens (D–NY) introduced a bill to set stricter requirements for who may be appointed. He argued appointed librarians need to have specialized training; the bill did not become law. Title 44 of the United States Code Title 44 of the United States Code outlines the role of public printing and documents in

532-482: The new office. Shortly thereafter, Jefferson appointed his former campaign manager John J. Beckley to serve as the first librarian of Congress. He was paid $ 2 a day and was also required to serve as clerk to the House of Representatives. It was not until 1897 that Congress was given the power to confirm the president's nominee. This same law gave the librarian the sole power for making the institution's rules and appointing

560-622: The only copy of the item in the collection, as long as the electronic document is complete, official, and permanently accessible. Access to electronic documents is provided through Persistent Uniform Resources Locators (PURL) and is facilitated by GovInfo and the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP). Recently, federal agencies have been bypassing the GPO in lieu of publishing documents directly online. These documents, known as "fugitive documents", are not published through GPO, and hence are not part of

588-502: The position. In 1945, Carl Vitz , then president of the American Library Association , wrote a letter to the president of the United States regarding the position of librarian of Congress, which had recently become vacant. Vitz felt it necessary to recommend potential librarians. Vitz stated the position "requires a top-flight administrator, a statesman-like leader in the world of knowledge, and an expert in bringing together

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616-464: The program and their associated item numbers. Each item with an item number is available through the FDLP program. Because of the large number of documents published by the government each year, the documents are arranged into categories of related classes from which to choose. By selecting a class, the library receives all of the documents within that class. Selections made during the year take effect on October 1. The Union List of Item Selections updates

644-453: The regional, then to other depositories ( 44 U.S.C.   § 1912 ). All depository libraries, including regional libraries, may dispose of items that have been superseded or issued later in bound form ( 44 U.S.C.   § 1911 ). If an item has been deselected, the library must still retain the publications it possesses from that item number for five years before they may be discarded. Libraries may not financially benefit from

672-475: The roles of the FDLP and the Government Printing Office (GPO) in distributing government information. This act also assigned leadership of the program to the Superintendent of Public Documents, who would be under the control of the GPO and added executive documents to the distribution list. The Depository Library Act of 1962 (DLA) created the present-day FDLP as codified in Title 44, Chapter 19 of

700-592: The state regional library and then redistributed to selected libraries within the state. Libraries are required to maintain a series of titles known as the FDLP Basic Collection. Beyond this, libraries order the materials that best suit the needs of their patrons; there is no selection percentage criterion that must be met. The FDLP offers the opportunity to order several kinds of material for libraries' collections, including maps, Braille, large print documents, foreign language items, and audio. The Core Collection

728-487: The titles in the List of Classes on a semiannual basis. Unlike adding items, selections may be removed at any time; the library stops receiving the documents within 72 hours. Selective depository libraries must keep government documents in their collections for five years minimum, after which time the items may be removed from the collection with the approval of a regional library. Items marked for disposal must be offered first to

756-533: Was established in 1977. Every depository library is required to have certain publications available for use. These include, among others: Libraries select the documents they wish to receive from the List of Classes of United States Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries and the Union List of Item Selections . This is a document listing all of the classes of items available for selection through

784-604: Was sworn in on September 14, 2016. On April 24, 1800, the 6th United States Congress passed an appropriations bill signed by President John Adams which created the Library of Congress. This law was to serve a "further provision for the removal and accommodation of the Government of the United States". The fifth section of the act specifically created the Library of Congress and designated some of its early capabilities. The act provided for "the acquisition of books for congressional use,

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