Need to reference the United States' budget for an economics project? Want to compare varying Citizenship tests over time? Interested in reviewing the difference between federal government “rules” from 1950 with 2023? Or maybe you’re keen to better understand the US Constitution via annotations to jumpstart your research?

You can find answers to these and US federal government-specific questions via a unique, free-to-everyone Dartmouth service called the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

We recently caught up with Librarian Wendel Cox, coordinator and steward of the program, to unearth more about this free, essential service and its history.

Starting in 1813, the federal government moved to place select government publications with participating libraries throughout the United States and its territories. Dartmouth Libraries became a depository 71 years later, joining what we now call the FDLP at the program’s foundation in 1962. 

Today, our service lies in helping you, our community, with access to this information in its myriad forms. As a research-intensive academic library, it’s our goal that anyone in the Dartmouth community receive expert guidance and support using this astonishing resource for research, learning, and teaching. 

FDLP's Basic Collection contains vital resources and information about, and published by, the federal government. The databases support your right to know about the workings and essential activities of the Federal Government. As a federal depository library, we’re obligated to make these resources available immediately. Though we no longer receive print versions of documents, those original print materials remain alongside the regularly updated digital content.