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  GPO Facts: Ensures the Public's Right to Government Information  
 
   
 
 
 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the history of GPO?
How is GPO managed?
What does GPO do?
What is GPO Access?
What is the Federal Depository Library Program?
How do I get documents from GPO?
Who pays for GPO?
Where is GPO Located?

Q. What is the history of GPO?
A. The U.S. Government Printing Office’s core mission, Keeping America Informed, dates to 1813 when Congress determined the need to make information regarding the work of the three branches of government available to all Americans. This is the inherent function of Government which GPO carries out for Federal agencies on behalf of the public. GPO is the Federal Government’s primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing and preserving published information in all its forms.

Many of our Nation’s most important information products, such as the Congressional Record and Federal Register, are produced at the GPO’s main plant in Washington, D.C., a 1.5 million square-foot complex that is the largest information processing, printing, and distribution facility in the world located just five blocks from the Capitol. In addition to the agency's production facilities, GPO procures between 600 and 1,000 print-related projects a day through private sector vendors across the country. The majority of the Government’s printing needs are met through a long-standing partnership with America’s printing industry. GPO competitively buys products and services from thousands of private sector companies in all 50 States. It is one of the Government’s most successful procurement programs, assuring the most cost-effective use of the taxpayers’ printing dollars.

Today, GPO is at the epicenter of technological change, embracing a historic mission while looking to the digital future. The 2,500 men and women of GPO are hard at work transforming the agency into a 21st century digital information processing facility.

Q. How is GPO managed?
A. As the nation's 24th Public Printer, Bruce R. James serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Government Printing Office, one of the nation’s oldest and most venerable agencies. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., James oversees production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government.

Bruce R. James of Nevada was nominated by President George W. Bush for the position of Public Printer and was confirmed by the United States Senate November 22, 2002.

Deputy Public Printer Bill Turri serves as the Chief Operating Officer of GPO.

Q. What does GPO do?
A. GPO is the Federal government’s primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published information in all its forms.

GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government.

For example, GPO makes the official Government edition of The 9-11 Commission Report available to the American public through GPO Access <www.gpoaccess.gov>, at no cost at the exact time that the 9-11 Commission issued its report. The printed report was also available through our sales program at the very same time for a minimal charge, a charge that goes toward merely recovering printing costs. Unlike most Federal agencies, GPO operates much like a business, as it is reimbursed by its customers for the cost of work performed. In addition, the GPO distributed free copies of the report to the approximately 1,250 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program located in congressional districts across the country.

GPO's main mission is to ensure that the American public has access to government information.

Q. What is GPO Access?
A. GPO Access <www.gpoaccess.gov> is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted. This free service is funded by the Federal Depository Library Program and has grown out of Public Law 103-40, known as the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Enhancement Act of 1993.

Q. What is the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)?
A. Established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government’s information, the Federal Depository Library Program involves the acquisition, format conversion, and distribution of depository materials and the coordination of Federal depository libraries in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

The mission of the FDLP is to disseminate information products from all three branches of the Government to 1,250 libraries nationwide. Libraries that have been designated as Federal depositories maintain these information products as part of their existing collections and are responsible for assuring that the public has free access to the material provided by the FDLP.

GPO, through a partnership with 1,250 libraries participating in the Federal Depository Library Program, provides personal assistance in locating and using Government information. Participating libraries may be located at the GPO Access Web site <http://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html#locate> or by calling toll-free (866)-512-1800.

Q. How do I get documents from GPO?
A. More than 275,000 Federal Government document titles are available to the public via the Internet at GPO Access <www.gpoaccess.gov>.

Printed copies of many of those documents ranging from Supreme Court opinions to reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics may also be purchased in person, online, via phone, fax, email, or postal mail.

To order in person, please visit the GPO Main Bookstore at 710 North Capitol St. NW, Washington, D.C. (Corner of North Capitol and H Streets) from 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. EST.

To order online, visit the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

To order by phone or inquire about an order, call toll-free (866)-512-1800 or, in the DC metro area, call (202)-512-1800 from 7:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m. EST.

By fax, dial (202)-512-2104. Send order inquiries to contactcenter@gpo.gov.

Send mail to:
Information Dissemination (Superintendent of Documents)
P.O. Box 371954
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954.

All orders require prepayment by VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover/NOVUS credit cards, check, or SOD deposit account.

Q. Who pays for GPO?
A. Unlike most Federal agencies, GPO operates much like a business - it is reimbursed by its customers for the cost of work performed. GPO also receives two appropriations each year. One pays for the cost of congressional printing, and the other to fund the cataloging, indexing, distribution and online access to Government documents, through the FDLP.

Q. Where is GPO located?
A. GPO’s central office is located at 732 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401. GPO also has several offices nationwide.

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Contact

General inquiries about GPO should be directed to the Office of Public Relations.

Phone
202.512.1957

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