The South Carolina State Library is a member of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The FDLP was established by Congress to ensure public access to American Government information. Our collection of Federal publications is available for use by visitors, and physical items may be loaned to cardholders and to other libraries. The State Library is a selective depository; we choose items based on the needs of state employees, South Carolina government legislators, and the needs and interests of our local communities. Our collection is strong in the areas of agriculture, laws and regulations, the census, health, the national parks system, and defense. We also strive to obtain all items on any topic relating to South Carolina.
We collect items in a variety of formats including print collections, kits, maps, DVDs, and electronic publications. Electronic titles are listed in our online catalog with an attached link. Some individual publications about South Carolina have been entered into our South Carolina Federal Documents Digital Collection. Please contact us for more information about federal government publications. Our Reference staff will be happy to assist you.
About the FDLP: The United States Government is the largest publisher in the world. Every day the U.S. Government issues congressional bills, laws, regulations, presidential documents, studies, and more on a variety of topics. The FDLP was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its government's information. The FDLP is administered by the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO).
The authority for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the legal obligations of designated Federal depository libraries are found in 44 United States Code §§1901‐1916.
GovInfo is a one-stop site for official information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Search, browse, and download over 2 million U.S. Government publications.
DiscoverGov is a unified interface for trusted Government information searching across multiple U.S. Federal Government databases, including the CGP and GovInfo.
The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) is a finding tool for historic and current documents produced by the U.S. Government. Search results show bibliographic information about publications and links to digital publications when available.
Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)
FDLP's mission is to "provide free, ready, and permanent public access to Federal Government information, now and for future generations."
The South Carolina State Library has served as a Federal depository library since its designation in 1895. We are one of 20 Federal depository libraries in South Carolina. Among these, all are selective libraries except for the Thomas Cooper Library at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, which serves as the state's sole Regional Depository Library.
The U.S. Congress first authorized the distribution of Government documents to universities, historical societies, and state libraries in 1813. The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has overseen the FDLP since 1895. Currently, over 1,000 libraries across the nation are members of the FDLP.
