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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