The most basic program for public access to government information products is the Federal Depository Library Program. In 1999, for example, the United States Government Printing Office distributed almost 17 million copies of over 40,000 publications to the 1,348 libraries in the program. Depository libraries are located in almost all congressional districts across the U.S. and territories.

The breakdown of participation in the depository program is 50% in general academic libraries (of which SLC Library is one), 20% in public libraries, and 11% in academic law libraries. Other depositories are in community colleges, state and special libraries, and Federal and State court and agency libraries.

The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 44 provides for a wide array of government publications to be provided to depository libraries for no-fee public access; and section 1902 requires that all government publications of public interest and educational value, except those classified for national security be made available to depository libraries.

The Esther Raushenbush Library of Sarah Lawrence College was designated a selective depository of U.S. government information in May 1969. Currently 914 items are chosen from those available, and this reflects a selection rate of close to 15%. Areas of emphasis include census statistics, health, education, labor, foreign affairs and Congressional hearings. The collection is housed on the ground floor of the main library and is arranged by the Superintendent of Documents Classification system, although more than 20% of items received through the program have been integrated into the library's general collections. Most of the items do circulate.

Although we prefer to collect publications in paper form, appropriate selection is made regardless of format; see our Collection Development Policy. Readers and printers for microfiche documents are available on the main floor, and computer workstations on site are capable of providing access to CD-ROMS, on-line databases and the Internet. For your information, we are planning to provide abstracts of recent acquisitions.