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Mississippi State University

Library update: Recent database changes

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US Government Information

This guide is designed to assist researchers in gaining access to United States federal information available within the library’s collections and databases, and online.

MSU is Online Depository Number 0308 in the FDLP

FDLP logo

"Federal Depository Logo" by United States GPO

On March 1, 1907, under the provisions of the Nelson Amendment to the First and Second Morrill Acts, 43 land-grant colleges entered the FDLP, including then Mississippi A & M College. This was the largest group of libraries ever to enter the program in a single year.

The Federal Depository Library Program provides permanent access to government publications through Federal depository libraries and the FDLP Electronic Collection. A program of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) under the statutory authority of  Title 44 of the United States Code, the mission of the FDLP is " to provide for no-fee ready and permanent public access to Federal Government information, now and for future generations."

Collections With FDLP Materials @ MSU Libraries

  • Circulating Collection: Many titles from the FDLP are merged into our main Circulating Collection (3rd and 4th fls) to better serve our researchers, and all of these materials are listed in the Online Catalog. These include titles relevant to areas of study core to a Land Grant University such as agriculture, soil science, and food sciences. Documents covering major historical or popular events are also included. If you enjoy browsing your favorite subject on the shelves, you will likely come across a government document along the way. They can be as easy to locate as any book. For assistance in finding what you want in our Circulating Collection simply Ask-A-Librarian.
  • Mississippi History in Special Collections: Stand-alone documents from the FDLP that focus on Mississippi are available in our Special Collections Department (3rd fl), better enabling our researchers to find materials they need about the state, its history, and its people. These materials are listed in the Libraries' Online Catalog, and they do not circulate. For assistance with these materials, contact Special Collections, and our Archivists in this department will assist you in locating the information you need.
  • Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library: Researchers using the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library (4th fl) can also find FDLP documents while using that collection. These titles are in the Libraries' Online Catalog and do not circulate. Topics include military histories from the Department of Defense, and battlefield archeology and surveys from the National Parks Service, etc. For assistance with these materials, contact the Grant Library, and their Archivists will assist you in locating the information you need.