A federal depository library is a library in the United States that holds documents printed by the Government Printing Office. There are approximately 1,250 of them located in all 50 states.[1]
Depository libraries have existed since 1813.[1] The government provides documents at no cost to these libraries throughout the country and its territories. These depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access to government information in an impartial environment with professional assistance.
As institutions committed to equity of access and dedicated to free and unrestricted public use, the nation's nearly 1,250 depository libraries serve as one of the vital links between "We the people" and our government. Anyone can visit federal depository libraries and use the federal depository collections which are filled with information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and numerous other subjects.