LibGuides: Government Information: Home

Hilton M. Briggs Library: Government Information

The Federal Depository Library Program: Keeping America Informed

Since 1813, the United States Federal Government has distributed information to the American people through a system of depository libraries. SDSU and the library have been a part of the Federal Depository Library Program since 1889.There are currently over 556,000 federally deposited documents in the Government Documents Collection at Briggs Library. Materials and reference services are available free of charge to all users of government information in accordance with Title 44 of the U.S. Code. The general public may access government information in all formats in the library including print, microform, tangible electronic, and via the Internet.

About Government Information at SDSU

Over 125 years as a Federal Depository Library

South Dakota State University was designated as as official U.S. depository library in 1889. Hilton M. Briggs Library holds over 556,000 federal government publications in its collection. Currently, approximately 77% of the materials made available through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) are selected and received at the library. Materials are received in a variety of formats including paper and electronic (CD-ROM, DVD, disk, video, online). These items are housed on the lower level of the library and are arranged according to the Superintendent of Documents classification system (SuDoc).

Our purpose is to provide both the SDSU community and the general public with government information. The mission of the FDLP is to disseminate information from all three branches of government to participating depository libraries. Those libraries designated as depository libraries maintain federal information products and make those products freely accessible to the general public. The FDLP was established by Congress to ensure free access by the American public to its government's information. Depository libraries provide professional, local, no-fee access to government information.

U.S. Government Printing Office

Government Documents are filed using the SuDoc system (short for Superintendent of Documents). Rather than putting items of similar topic together, this system is organized by issuing agency.

Call #	Agency
A	Agriculture
AE	National Archives and Records Administration
B	Broadcasting Board of Governors
C	Commerce Department
CC	Federal Communications Commission
CR	Civil Rights Commission
D	Defense Department
E	Energy Department
ED	Education Department
EP	Environmental Protection Agency
FA	Fine Arts Commission
FCA	Farm Credit Administration
FHF	Federal Housing Financing Board
FM	Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
FMC	Federal Maritime Commission
FR	Federal Reserve System Board of Governors
FT	Federal Trade Commission
FTZ	Foreign-Trade Zones Board
GA	Government Accountability Office
GP	Government Publishing Office
GS	General Services Administration
HE	Health and Human Services Department
HH	Housing and Urban Development Department
HS	Homeland Security
I	Interior Department
IC	Interstate Commerce Commission
ID	US Agency for International Development
ITC	International Trade Commission
J	Justice Department
JU	Judiciary
L	Labor Department
LC	Library of Congress
LR	National Labor Relations Board
MS	Merit Systems Protection Board
NAS	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NC	National Capital Planning Commission
NCU	National Credit Union Administration
NF	National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
NMB	National Mediation Board
NS	National Science Foundation
OP	Overseas Private Investment Corporation
P	United States Postal Service
PE	Peace Corps
PM	Personnel Management Office
PR	President of the United States
PREX	Executive Office of the President
PRVP	Vice President of the United States
RR	Railroad Retirement Board
S	State Department
SBA	Small Business Administration
SE	Securities and Exchange Commission
SI	Smithsonian Institution
SSA	Social Security Administration
T	Treasury Department
TD	Transportation Department
TDA	US Trade and Development Agency
VA	Veterans Affairs Department
X	Congress
Y	Congress