- A Federal Depository Library is a "library within a library". It is one of many kinds of specialty libraries.
- All of our federal depository items are published by the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and distributed to us free through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).
- As a Federal Depository Library, we agree to receive, house, and make available to the public all of the items distributed to us by the GPO
- YOUR Government Documents Department is a Regional Federal Depository Library. Unlike Selective, Regional Libraries receive ALL tangible items distributed by GPO through the FDLP program. We are one of only 2 Regional Depositories in Alabama. The other Regional Depository is the University of Alabama. Selective Depositories are many and can be found throughout the state such as at: Alabama State University, Air University, and Jones School of Law.
- EVERYONE! Whether you're an AUM student or a guest user, you have access to this and any Federal Depository Library during normal operating hours. All Federal Depository Libraries must receive, house, and make available to the public all of the items distributed to us by GPO.
- Are all Federal Depository Libraries physical libraries? No. Some selective libraries have gone completely digital. Many GPO items have a digital counterpart or are solely published electronically.
The Government Publishing Office(GPO) is responsible for the publication and distribution of materials that the Government requests to be published. GPO item are:
- provided for free to depository libraries to fulfill its mission to keep America informed about government activities.
- only declassified items.
- NOT all physical items. Some of the government publications are digital, or electronic versions, and some only live on that agency’s website.
The Superintendent of Documents (SUDOC) classification system:
- Is organized by issuing agencies, NOT by subject or author.
- The Class Stem is the first part of the call number which identifies the issuing agency. Examples:–Dept. of Agriculture starts with “A"– the Dept. of the Interior starts with “I"–the Smithsonian Institute starts with SI"-
- The second part of the call number identifies the specific publication by type, division, and year.
We are open the same hours as YOUR AUM Library. Check the Library's website for current hours. We are usually staffed during 9:00am - 5:00pm. Should you require assistance outside those hours please call, text, or go to the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor.
Our Main Collection in Gov. Docs is filed under the SUDOC or Superintendent of Documents Classification system. Our items come in one or more of the following 3 formats:
- Paper
- Microfiche
- Electronic
- Quiet Study Space
- 1 Guest Computer
- 3 AUM User Computers
- Legal Reference Materials
- 2 Microfiche/film Readers
- Large and Small Study Tables
- Electrical Outlets
- Charging Stations
- Water Fountains
- Restrooms
- Scanner
Legal Reference - Our Legal Reference section covers Federal and State legal topics. This section’s materials are NOT a part of the main Gov. Docs. Collection. They are filed under the Library of Congress (LC) classification system. Maps and Posters– Most of our large maps and posters are housed beside the Legal Reference section on this floor. Many of these are used in Library displays during the year. GPO Ready Reference and GPO Reference– Ranges 1‐6 house various GPO reference materials. The Ready Reference section on range 5B houses the most recent PRINT editions of those reference materials. Many of these publications now reside solely on‐line, but this section remains to aid in title searching for the newer editions.