Reminder: Current Weeding and Retention Rules Apply to FDLP Material

On February 8, 2023, GPO Director Hugh Halpern transmitted his formal response to the Task Force on a Digital FDLP regarding their final report, Feasibility of a Digital Federal Depository Library Program: Report of the GPO Director’s Task Force. Director Halpern expressed that he broadly intends to adopt the Task Force’s recommendations to move to a digital FDLP and has accounted for those few areas where the Agency may diverge from the recommendations as written. 

Some libraries have since inquired about how this report impacts tangible collections housed in depository libraries. LSCM will be developing an implementation plan and strategy for adoption of recommendations in the coming months and will be sharing this process with the FDLP community.

Despite a focus on collaborating to modernize the FDLP for the digital era, there are no changes to existing FDLP rules and guidance regarding the weeding of paper, microfiche, or other tangible formats from FDLP collections at this time. All regular weeding and retention rules must be adhered to. Information about weeding FDLP collections may be found in Weeding a Depository Collection. If you have further questions about weeding, please consult your regional depository.

Tangible holdings in depository libraries remain an important part of the National Collection. Legacy collections will continue to be maintained by depository libraries, and LSCM will provide preservation tools and services to support those collections.

Please review the Key Takeaways and Frequently Asked Questions document for more information about the Task Force’s final report. Questions about the impact of the Task Force’s report may be directed to askGPO.