The UT Arlington Library's responsibility as a depository is to provide academic information to faculty, students, and staff and to provide access to U.S. federal government information. This information may answer questions about the federal government, statistical information about our nation, or provide information that helps resolve business, academic, personal, or community problems. Federal information may also answer questions about cultural history, foreign relations, personal health, environment, forms of government, laws and administrative regulations, federal courts, or statistical information about our nation. The libraries work toward development of general competency and knowledge of government information services among our public service staff.

The Libraries selectively acquire information currently offered through the Federal Depository Library Program in an attempt to satisfy the majority of information needs of the primary users, and to maintain a collection of historical documents likely to be used for academic research. The Libraries also provide public access to federal government information available through the Internet.

The government publications collection does not specialize in the areas of cartography, genealogy, law, and patents and trademarks. The UT Arlington Library have some of the basic tools for patent and trademark searching, but refer patrons to the Patent and Trademark Depository collection of the Dallas Public Library for advanced service. Genealogical questions are directed to other libraries and to the National Archives and Records Administration Fort Worth Records Center. Medical publications are acquired to support the curriculum and research of the School of Nursing and the Bioengineering program, but our collection is not a comprehensive collection of all federal publications about medicine and nursing.

The leaders of the three branches of government want the public to have access to information about government business practices, laws and regulations, proposed laws and regulations, judicial interpretations of the law, assistance and benefit programs, and the state of the union. Information about "The State of the Union" could be about our national economic situation, the condition of our lands and waters, our natural resources, characteristics of our people and businesses, or any form of statistical information gathered to conduct government business. The Federal Depository Library Program, which sends publications to participating libraries or provides access to electronic information through these libraries, is an efficient way for the Federal Government to provide selective access to federal information.

A library nominated to become a depository signs a contract with the Government Printing Office agreeing to accept materials and make them available to all persons. Depositories submit a biennial survey report in odd-numbered years to the Superintendent of Documents, and a self-study report every five years. The G.P.O. Library Programs Service inspects depositories every five years. A report is made to the library and the Superintendent of Documents about the condition of the collection and the services offered to the public.

The following non-inclusive list highlights the obligations of a depository library.

• Follow federal law as given in Title 44 United States Code, and other laws that may affect the deposit collection.
• Follow directives and instructions from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, or G.P.O. employees.
• Publicize the existence of the collection to the general public as well as the immediate library user community.
• Make the federal publications and information sources available to everyone without undue restrictions on access to the material, or to the building housing or providing access to the collections and resources.
• Mark materials with distinguishing stamps, receipt dates, and other markings that distinguish it as federal property.
• Recognize that all publications remain the property of the federal government, and may be recalled, ordered disposed, or transferred to other depositories.
• Keep material in good condition, treating it the same way as library property of the same type, including binding or preserving the material from damage.
• Retain all publications for 5 years, except as authorized by the Superintendent of Documents and the Regional Depository Library.
• Acquire supplies, equipment, and computer software so that electronic format or Internet accessible information can be offered to library users.
• Train staff in the use of federal publications and special reference tools to identify sources of information.

The UT Arlington Library were appointed as a depository in 1963 as a U.S. Senator recommended depository, according to Title 44, Chapter 19 of the United States Code. It is one of two depositories located in U.S. House of Representatives Texas District 24. The Libraries are one of eleven depository libraries in the "metroplex" counties.

The Libraries have chosen to receive about 55% of all active distribution categories. Other selective depositories in the metro-plex receive from 5% to 80% of the categories.

A regional depository library collection at the Texas Tech University Library serves as a backup source to provide originals or copies of information not in our collection. The Texas State Library and Archives and 50 other depositories nationwide are also regional depositories. Approximately 1,300 other depository libraries participate in the depository program.

The UT Arlington Library work to provide access to federal government information by:

• Providing access to federal government information to all persons.
• Acquiring computer systems and software so that electronics-based information from the federal government or other providers is available through UT Arlington Library to any library user at convenient times and locations.
• Providing access within the library to materials and finding aids limited by format or contractual agreement to "on-campus use" or "library use only" to any person visiting the library buildings.
• Operating a depository collection and the electronic access system in accordance with Title 44 of the United States Code, and directives of the U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Minimizing selection and retention of low use materials.
• Transferring low use materials to the Regional Depository Library or other federal depository libraries, or properly disposing of them in accordance with law and G.P.O. directives.
• Cooperating with other federal depository libraries in North Central Texas by sharing information about what is received, not received, and removed from the collection.

• UT Arlington Library use records provided by MARCIVE, Inc., and locally created records for entries. Older material that is not found in the UT Arlington Library Catalog is indexed in other publications such as the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. The Superintendent of Documents Classification System is used for cataloging of all publications and links to electronic resources.
• The Library provides guidance and assistance in locating information which may be available, but for which it has chosen not to receive or to display a URL for Internet accessible information.

The Federal Government publishes information on a broad range of topics. The UT Arlington Library attempt to select federal publications that can answer the majority of library user's questions. The Libraries maintain a collection of historical documents likely to be useful in academic research.

The following selection criteria are considered:

• All sources should provide information of lasting value as determined by the information content and subject specialists and the Government Publications Librarian.
• Preference is given to publications and information sources that support the curriculum and research needs of the University of Texas at Arlington, or which support the information needs of the general public about the legislative, judicial, and administrative work of the federal government.
• Topographic maps are selected for the states that border the Gulf of Mexico or Texas, or are part of the historically defined Southwestern U.S.
• Nautical and aeronautical charts, directories, forms, and materials with an expiration date, such as grant competition announcements, are usually not chosen.
• Copies of Federal Income Tax forms and booklets are kept to assist the community.
• Electronically available information resources, whether originating from the Government Printing Office, a federal agency, or a non-federal publisher, are given preference for use and access. The design of the web site, ease of locating the information, and the stability of the producer in maintaining the information over time, as compared with print or microfiche versions, should be considered in all decisions.
• An electronically available information resource that can be obtained by remote connection to web servers, ftp sites, or any other service that provides access is preferred to a resource that requires dedicated library resources for this information. If information is available by CD-ROM or by remote access, preference is given to remote access.
• The Government Publications Librarian, in collaboration with information content and subject specialists, sets a percentage target selection rate for physically distributed materials to be received from the Government Printing Office. The target allows new material to be received and older material to be withdrawn so that the physical size of the collection remains steady.
• Information about URLs for remote source electronic information is added to UT Arlington Library only if they refer to items that would have been added to the tangible collection of government publications.
• Publications not available from the Government Printing Office are purchased from other sources as needed, or borrowed and copied from other libraries.

• Any material received through the Federal Depository Library Program must be kept for at least 5 years from date of receipt, unless it is superseded or withdrawal is authorized or directed by the Superintendent of Documents.
• All material not authorized for local disposal (according to the GPO's Superseded List ) must be offered to the Regional Depository Library collection. The Regional will notify this library of material to be sent to it for retention and authorize or deny disposal of the rest. A two-month period is usually required for the Regional to check its own holdings and reply to our request.
• An aggressive weeding project and de-selection of classes found not to be in use is necessary to have a collection that is easy for customers to use and for staff to maintain.
• Keep those publications and classes of publications which have shown use through circulation, contain statistics needed for student or faculty research, are sources of statistics in the Statistical Abstract of the United States, explain the activities of the highest offices of the units within the three branches of government, are of historic interest, or otherwise support student and faculty research.
• Use the network of area depositories, the Regional Depository Library collection at Texas Tech University or purchase from the G.P.O. or other sources to obtain originals or copies of materials need by customers.
• Evaluate the collection periodically and retain those materials necessary for current and future use.
• Consider other weeding criteria used for the general collection that may be relevant.

July 14, 2000, revised April 2004. Prepared by Thomas Lindsey, lindsey@uta.edu, Government Publications Librarian