Whether it's been 10 years or 100, every milestone should be celebrated. Depository anniversaries are the perfect time to highlight your library's Government documents collection, services, and resources and shine a spotlight on your library as a rich community resource.

Planning Your Celebration

Select Your Celebration Date

Plan your events when you know you can gather your maximum crowd. Try to avoid national holidays, major city or town events, and final exams or student breaks at academic institutions. Planning your celebration in conjunction with another special event at the library can help increase attendance. Many depository anniversaries are celebrated during National Library Week and on or around Constitution Day.

Plan & Assign

About a year in advance, clearly define objectives for your anniversary celebration. Draft an action plan, complete with a budget and timeline. Include responsibilities for each aspect of the anniversary celebration, such as guest speakers, media contacts, space selection, patron activities, giveaways, and snacks.

Reach Out

Ask colleagues in your region and the community as a whole how they celebrated their anniversaries. Ask your patrons for ideas and suggestions for celebrating.

Promote Your Event

Brand Your Materials

Use these anniversary logos in your event invitations, flyers, on your website, on social media, or anywhere you plan to promote your event. Download the logo applicable to your celebration year.

• Three unique anniversary designs available for download.
• Available in .png format.
• Optimized for use in print or digital media.
• Can be sized to any dimension.
• Available in 15 different year options

Don’t see what you are looking for? Contact GPO about getting these logos customized with your celebration year. Many depositories also create their own unique logos. Download images from GPO’s FDLP Digital Marketing Toolkit to use in your designs.

Promote the Event

Use your library’s social media accounts, web sites, public calendars, and resources of your library’s parent institution to promote your event. Utilize the screen savers or LCD screens in the library to share information about events or fun facts about your depository.

Notify the Media

Plan your events with an eye to media coverage. Concentrate on local media outlets. Reach out to newspapers, local websites, newsletters, radio stations, community blogs/calendars, and television stations. Invite local media to cover the event. Download the press release template to announce your anniversary and related celebrations.

Utilize Your Network

Ask other local depositories, non-depository libraries, and educational and government institutions to help promote your event by either sharing your social media content, adding your event to their public calendar, or allowing for flyers to be placed in their buildings or at their events.

Events Ideas

• Recruit guest speakers to present on the importance and value of Government documents. Examples include Senators and Representatives, community leaders, local educational leaders, and GPO staff. If you would like a representative from GPO to attend or share a congratulatory video, simply fill out our Request for GPO Participation form in advance. To access the form, you must first be logged in to askGPO. From the top menu, click More, and in the drop-down select, Training/Visits Request. Please complete that and click Submit.
• Organize special guests and lecturers to speak on a variety of topics of particular interest to your local community. Ask the speakers to include information on how free access to Government documents impacts their topic.
• Plan your events to include contests or games:
  • A contest for students/patrons to design an anniversary logo or poster.
  • A drawing that patrons can enter each time they visit the depository.
  • A scavenger hunt (Find a Government book or document about…).
  • A coloring contest or Ben’s Guide printable activities for young patrons.
  • An essay contest about patrons’ favorite Government document.
  • A contest to guess the number of Government documents in the library.
• Offer and promote library tours. Focus the tour around your library's history and its anniversary. Involve other areas of the library outside of the depository.
• Create unique and engaging displays in and around the library that feature Government documents resources. Reference how long your library has been serving its patrons and your library's upcoming anniversary. Link those references to the vast number of resources and services available to patrons. Feature your displays on the library's website and via social media.

Certificates & Plaques

Request certificates and plaques through askGPO. You must first be logged in to access the request form. From the top menu, click More, and in the drop-down select, Anniversary Award Request Form. Please complete that and click Submit.

Share Photos

Take photos before and during your event. Capture lots of action and candid shots. Share your photos with GPO, and your library could be featured via GPO social media, the FDLP Connection newsletter, or on FDLP.gov. Email us your photos and event descriptions. Don’t forget to share all of your photos on your website and via social media.

Prepare for Your Next Event

Document everything – all plans, timelines, budget, etc. Include photos. Your future self or your successor will thank you!

Your voice as depository librarian is critically important in the promotion of the FDLP and Federal Government information.

Keep your audience in mind when you are creating promotional efforts. Tailor messages and benefits for each audience. Diverse audiences will respond differently to the messages and mediums you use. Serving your audiences at their point of need is important. Local collections are a unique strength of your library. Emphasize your local collections.

Reaching Your Online Audience

Clearly the last several years have seen a significant shift in the way people communicate. Using social networking and social media is an inexpensive and effective way to reach current and potential users of your depository collection. Many libraries are already using social media/networking to reach out to users. Include your library in any rotation of blog posts, status updates, or videos that already exist in your library or library system, either for special events or on regular intervals.

Social Networking

Choose from a plethora of social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ are the most popular options, and there are others. These sites deliver a great deal of visibility for the time and effort you invest.

Blogging

While social networking sites work well for brief updates, blog posts allow more in-depth communication. You can use posts to describe and promote your collection detail. 

Some ideas to help you get started:

• Create blog posts about: promotional efforts, current events, school assignments, and reference questions.
• Consult with colleagues for ideas, especially subject specialist librarians.
• Consider writing a blog series on a specific topic.
• Invite guest bloggers if you need expertise on a specific topic or are running short of time (ill, on vacation, etc.).
• Allow for public comment on your pages; it will take you extra time and effort to edit out inappropriate content, but will greatly increase your market and audience.
• Provide "share" buttons on your blogs.

Videos, Photos, and Vlogs

Photos, videos and vlogs (video blogs) can promote your library with promotional photos, tutorials, tours, and instructional videos that can generate attention and reach a wider audience. Use your imagination and be creative. The tone can range from studious to silly. Ask student workers or interns to create fun promotional videos about your library. Air the videos on college and/or local access television stations, or the library's Web site, or sites such as Flickr, Pinterest and YouTube. 

Apps

Library users are increasingly accessing library materials, catalogs, etc., via their phones and mobile devices. Serve those users by creating your own app. Libraries are creating apps to search library catalogs, reserve materials, find library locations and hours, take virtual tours, view videos, and more.

QR Codes

Posting your Quick Response (QR) codes on your library Web site and on public postings (e.g., bus advertisements, billboards, and brochures) can promote your library to potential users. QR codes are a type of 2-dimensional barcode users can scan with their Smartphones to access library Web sites and other online information directly.

Some examples of ways to use QR for your library promotions:

• Place code on shelf at the end of a serial run of tangibles that have converted to EL, so users can directly access new issues.
• Situate codes in the stacks where docs change SuDoc class number to help users locate materials.
• Add to handouts and other educational materials to provide more in-depth information.
• Include on business cards and bookmarks so users can easily contact you.
• Position codes to the shelves of other collections in your library to link users to Government documents on similar topics or your library guides.
• Attach to promotional materials that are displayed at other libraries academic departments, and community organizations to make it easy for new users to find you.
• Work with your colleagues to ensure that codes that link to depository resources are included in all relevant library materials. Subject liaisons can be especially helpful.

Email Distribution Lists

Exploit existing emails lists associated with your library or parent institution. Ask list administrators for guest posting rights, and tailor a depository library to the list's audience. Try to rope in fringe audiences to make them users.

Create your own distribution list. Collect user contacts through a physical drop box and either send email updates as needed, or create a newsletter to send on a regular basis.

Communicate In Your Community

Leverage existing communications channels in your community on behalf of your library. Ask your city, county, local senior center, high school and/or college if you could make announcements and post articles and public notices in any communication vehicles they offer. If there are local newsletters, blogs, radio or TV stations, see if the mangers of those resources wil let you write a guest column about your library. See if they would interview you and/or your staff about your library. 

Use area resources to communicate about your library as well. Inquire at your local Congressional office to include information about your library's events in their local communication vehicles such as Web sites and newsletters. Solicit endorsements from your local celebrities, especially those celebrities who have personal ties to your institution, e.g., an alumnus/alumnae from your university. 

Build your own communication vehicles. Generate a guide to Federal Government documents for new students/new users. Keep track of frequently asked questions (FAQ), find the FDLP resources that can answer them, and generate a FAQ Web page and/or a handout for your users. Continually look for new or improved ways for your library to reach new audiences and communicate more effectively with your core audiences.

Reaching Out To Your Audience In Your Community

Promote your library by attending community social events and by creating your own library's social events. These occasions are valudable opportunites to increase your user base.

Here are some ideas to help you with brainstorming for these opportunities:

• Create library displays to highlight services and collections at your library, and to celebrate holidays and special events such as elections, exams, etc.
• Celebrate your depository library's milestones and use your anniversary as an opportunity to share your story.
• Make events for children and push forward Federal publications and Web sites designed for children. Demonstrate and share Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government.
• Offer orientation classes at your depository at the beginning of the school year or each term if your library is at a school.
• Talk to library school students and professors as a guest speaker at local library schools.
• Use your school, university or institutional mascot, if you have one, at your library events to meet community members.
• Enlist aid from your library's subject specialists; send them newly distributed FDLP materials to review so they can recommend them to users.

Increase awareness of your library’s FDLP services and resources with this wide variety of promotional materials. These items are available at no cost, exclusively to Federal depository libraries.

To log in, your username is your FDL number, and the password is your FDLP password.

Example:

Username: 0123A
Password: FDLP12345

 

The tradition of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) spans over 150 years, and we love to celebrate the individual anniversaries of Federal depository libraries as they recognize their contributions in the program. Whether it’s been 10 years or 100, let us know what your library is doing to celebrate so that we can share it with the entire FDLP community. Send us an email with a few pictures and a brief description of how you celebrated the event.

Here are a few examples of anniversary celebrations from around the FDLP:

The University of Kansas Libraries celebrated 150 years in the FDLP with an original anniversary exhibit, “For the People,” which highlighted the wide range of Government information accessible through the FDLP. The opening reception included a panel discussion on congressional hearings moderated by KU Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Reggie Robinson. Panelists included congressional hearings witnesses from KU and the Lawrence, Kansas community. The library also hosted two lectures. Richard Graham, associate professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discussed his book, “Government Issue: Comics for the People,” and selections from the Government Comics collection, both of which are featured in the “For the People” exhibition. Also, members of KU’s award-winning debate team presented a mock debate and discussed their extensive use of Government resources when preparing for debate competitions.

Tennessee State University’s Brown-Daniel Library celebrated their 45th FDLP Anniversary. Then GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks served as keynote speaker. The program was attended by library staff, former Government Document Librarians, political representatives, and the University President Dr. Glenda Glover. The library captured the excitement of the day in an article posted on their website.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library celebrated their 110th FDLP anniversary. To commemorate the event, the staff created the exhibit, "Property of the United States Government."

The University of North Dakota’s Chester Fritz Library celebrated their 125th FDLP anniversary. The celebration included an interactive display and a lecture.

The St. Charles City-County Library District’s Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library celebrated their 25th FDLP anniversary with a month of special events including a patriotic photo booth, Government documents classes for the public, and a field trip for local children. The trip offered a tour of the Government documents collection, a scavenger hunt, Abe Lincoln craft making, and explored Government sites using the library’s mobile devices.

The collection was also featured on a local television station and YouTube Channel. This clip will live on as part of a larger video welcoming new residents to the city.

Southeastern Louisiana University’s Sims Library celebrated their 50th FDLP anniversary. Guest speakers spoke about the importance of the FDLP and free public access to U.S. Government information, followed by a celebratory reception with a patriotic cake and refreshments.

The University of Mary Washington Libraries celebrated their 75th FDLP anniversary with a presentation and a display exhibit. They also used their LibGuides to help capture the event.

Saint Louis University’s Pius XII Memorial Library celebrated their 150th FDLP Anniversary. The celebration included a presentation of the 150 years plaque from GPO to the Dean of the University, an exhibit highlighting the historical documents that the library collected over the last 150 years, and a visit from the Regional depository librarian. The Regional librarian read a passage from the Congressional Globe dated almost 150 years before the anniversary, and the library made stickers and buttons featuring the FDLP logos as well as their school mascot. Also, they added some unique graphics and used their social media platforms to spread the celebration to the rest of the university.

Lander University’s Jackson Library celebrated their 50th FDLP Anniversary. They invited a park ranger from Ninety-Six Historical Site as a guest speaker. Ninety-Six Historical Site is located within Greenwood County, so it was a great way to highlight local history for the faculty, staff, and students. They also celebrated with a cake and lemonade.

The University of Wisconsin, Madison’s Law Library celebrated their 35th FDLP anniversary. The theme was “Documents Through the Decades,” and included examples of different formats from 1981 to the present. The largest sign summarized the commitment of the FDLP to provide access to the materials, and included a quote (found in a 1994 issue of Administrative Notes) from Sheila McGarr, former Chief of Depository Services at GPO, describing the purpose and goals of the FDLP. Also on display were circa 1980s photos of their oldest reading room and former FDL Coordinator, as well as photos of their current FDL Coordinator and their new reading room.

Texas Christian University’s Mary Couts Burnett Library celebrated their 100th FDLP anniversary with an array of activities in the library including speakers, exhibits of Government information, a voter registration table, a selfie station, and refreshments.

The Montana State Library celebrated their 50th FDLP anniversary. They had the good luck of having a GPO outreach team in town for a visit when they celebrated their anniversary with a hand-delivered plaque from GPO.

Florida State University’s Robert Manning Strozier Library celebrated their 75th anniversary in the FDLP. The library welcomed GPO’s Chief of Staff, Andy Sherman, for their celebration, and received a plaque from GPO.

Louisiana Tech University’s Prescott Memorial Library celebrated their 120th anniversary in the FDLP with a reception and presentations on the history of the library.

The Vernon Parish Library celebrated their 25th year in the FDLP with an Open House. Historic U.S. Government documents were on display, and staff offered tours of the library.

The James E. Brooks Library at Central Washington University hosted an open house with cake, balloons, giveaways, buttons, and more to celebrate their 55th anniversary in the FDLP. Staff were on hand to give tours, discuss the history of the area, and discuss the program. Displays illustrated the six areas comprising Government Publications Services in Brooks Library. They included specialized materials such as children’s materials, games and kits, non-English language including Braille, microformats, posters, and maps.

The Lewis J. Ort Library at Frostburg State University recently celebrated their 50th FDLP anniversary with a cake, a guestbook to record attendees, and a Government documents display that captured the time period leading up to the anniversary. They wrote about the celebration in their blog as well.

The University of New Hampshire Dimond Library celebrated its 110th FDLP anniversary with a custom book mark, a display of Government agency posters, a display of “coffee-table style” Government publications, and an exhibit case with several publications from their earliest years as a depository.

To find more examples of how your library can best celebrate its FDLP anniversary, visit the Celebrating Depository Anniversaries page on FDLP.gov.

Using GPO Social Media Resources to Promote Your Library &
Federal Government Information

This guide is intended to provide assistance to Federal depository libraries in the world of social media. Engaging your library users via social media is a great way to make them aware and get them interested in library resources and services. The best approach to social media is to take it one step at a time, monitor your social media activities to see what works and what doesn’t, and keep communicating.

What is social media?

Social media is a form of communication using Internet-based tools and platforms that enhance the sharing of information worldwide. Social media is a major way people are communicating and getting information. If Facebook were a country, it would be the largest in the world. Facebook has about 1.5 billion users. The population of China is about 1.4 billion people, while the United States has a population of about 322 million.

GPO’s Social Media Platforms

GPO’s mission since 1861 has been Keeping America Informed on the three branches of the Federal Government, so it’s natural GPO uses social media as a tool to carry out this mission. Federal depository libraries play a big role in helping GPO inform the public about free access to U.S. Government information. Social media can increase a library’s interaction with the public and how they use library services. Social media helps your library stay connected with your patrons when they aren’t physically in the library, and it allows libraries to reach out to potential patrons you wouldn’t normally have access to.

GPO uses the following social media platforms:

Facebook
Facebook is an online community where people connect with each other to build a network of shared information, pictures, and ideas. Fxacebook has about 1.5 billion monthly active users globally.

Here is an example of how the FDLP community is using Facebook:

• Government In formation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Twitter
Twitter is a combination of a mini-blog and a vehicle for announcements on the fly. It allows posts of up to 140 characters called tweets. Twitter has about 320 million monthly active users globally.

Here are just a few examples of how the FDLP community is using Twitter:

• Oklahoma Department of Libraries
• New Jersey State Library
• University of California Santa Barbara Library
• Arizona State University Libraries – ASU Gov Docs

Instagram
Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking platform. Instagram has about 400 million monthly active users globally.

Here’s an example of how the FDLP community is using Instagram:

• Williams College Libraries

YouTube
YouTube is a popular video sharing website. YouTube has about one billion users globally.

Here are just a few examples of how the FDLP community is using YouTube:

• University of Central Oklahoma
• Saint Charles City-County Library District
• Yavapai College Library

Pinterest
Pinterest allows users to visually share and discover new interests by posting (known as “pinning”) images or videos to their own or others' boards (i.e. a collection of “pins,” usually with a common theme) and browsing what other users have pinned. Pinterest more than 100 million monthly active users globally.

Here’s an example of how the FDLP community is using Pinterest:

Auburn University of Montgomery

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with more than 400 million members globally.

Examples of GPO and FDLP Libraries Cross-Promoting Information on Social Media

#lovemyFDL February 2016 Twitter Campaign

In February 2016, GPO celebrated FDLP libraries with a month-long Twitter campaign. GPO shared facts, info, and highlights about the FDLP using the hashtag #lovemyFDL. FDLP libraries and patrons were encouraged to tweet about your library and the many benefits of the FDLP. GPO cross-promoted content on its Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube platforms.

Most engaging @USGPO tweets:

Examples of FDLP library tweets:

How GPO Can Help Promote Your Library

GPO invites the FDLP community to share information about your library news, updates, special events, displays, services, and collections, and GPO will promote your library via our social media platforms. Use askGPO, and send us photos and descriptions of what is happening, and your library could be featured via GPO social media. Under the “Ask a Question” tab, choose “Federal Depository Libraries” as your category and “Marketing Strategies/Radio Spots” as your sub-category. We looking forward to promoting your library!

Some Suggested Best Practices in Social Media

Social media can be a powerful tool, but it is can also be a competitive and overwhelming environment. Each day we are inundated with content: updates from friends and family, advertisements from stores, and messages from political candidates and interest groups, to name just a few.

In order to have a successful social media presence, engagement with the community must be the first step. There must be a measure of trust for the community to believe what you have to say. To engage your audience, you must be responsive to their questions, mentions, tags, and commentary. Be present and be active, and you will gain the trust of your audience.

Further, what you’re saying has to be interesting and eye-catching enough to make people stop scrolling.

Below is a collection of tips and best practices for social media success.

1. When developing your posts, have your audience in mind. Identify their needs, and post accordingly. Who is your target audience? Is your tone representative of the audience you want to reach?
   1. Demonstrate your library’s value in the lives of your followers. You define your services and offerings to your customers. Make sure your voice and your personality all reflect the identity of your organization, even if multiple people are developing posts.Develop a Social Media Style Guide for your institution. Develop standards for how your brand should be represented. This type of guide can really help you define your institution’s voice and persona. Create your guide in coordination with your library’s current web policies and guidelines.
   2. Develop social media guidelines. What are the dos and don’ts of social media at your organization? How will social media be used and how should social media never be used?
   3. Avoid engaging Internet trolls and spammers. Monitor and remove any offensive or inappropriate posts to your page. Make this part of your policy.
      If allowable by your library, create communal or organizational social media accounts with a shared password so that updates can continue regardless of vacations, illness, retirement, etc. This also creates a more manageable, shared workload.
       
2. Enrich your “about me” section with as much information as possible. Include a description of your library and its services; current contact information; your address; hours of operation; a link to your website; a link to any virtual reference services, blogs, etc.; and any other information that lets your current and potential patrons know what you have to offer and how to get to you quickly.
3. Make sure your social media platforms are working with each other, not against each other. Keep your profile names consistent across all platforms, if possible. Make sure you are linking to your social media sites on your blog, your institution’s website, LibGuides, etc. Post a link to your latest blog entry on your social media pages.
4. Promote your social media sites on multimedia displays in the library, on signage, on print literature, in classes that you teach, and through staff conversations with patrons.
5. Post often (but not too often) to keep your followers engaged. To put things into perspective, the half-life of a tweet is about 18 minutes. Your updates will only stay at the top of a feed for about that long.
   1. Try to keep posts and tweets around 100 characters.
   2. Posting too often can be undesirable to your followers. Create a content planning calendar to help keep you focused on the message you want to convey. If you don’t have anything valuable to post, don’t post just to make a quota. You want to keep users engaged with relevant information.
   3. Use hashtags to make your photos more discoverable, but beware of hashtag overkill. Research has shown that tweets with more than three hashtags saw a significant drop in likes and retweets.
   4. Research has also shown that using a hashtag and a link together in your tweet drives engagement.
       
6. Share tips and tricks to create an informed citizenry through your library’s programs, services, and resources.
7. Think about your collection. Do you have new publications? Feature them on your social media sites.
8. Share adjacent content, meaning content that is relevant to your patrons but comes from other sources. Some examples: If another library has created a useful online tool, if you read about new research and study techniques, or if you find information of local community interest, re-post that information for your followers.
9. Everyone loves variety. Does your library staff engage in volunteer work? Did you have a retirement party for a long-time staffer? Does your staff like to dress in patriotic garb for Constitution Day? Post about it. Give your followers a more personal look into the culture at your organization. Speaking of your organization, are you looking for a new Government documents staff member? Don’t forget to promote job openings via social media as well.
10. Engage your audience in conversation, and be responsive. Make sure to monitor your page and past posts for any questions that are posed by your followers. Address those questions as you would a face-to-face patron in the library. An engaged audience is one of the greatest assets your library can have in the social media environment.
    1. Respond to both negative and positive discussions. If you receive negative comments (as long as they are not inappropriate in language or subject matter), look at it as an opportunity to demonstrate to your followers that you are open to constructive criticism and eager to find ways to improve. If someone is looking for a solution, do your best to provide a resolution or explain politely why that is not possible.
        
11. Remember your grammar and spellcheck. Review your posts before you publish to ensure no mistakes were made. A misplaced keystroke can be embarrassing and unprofessional. It’s a good idea to have a colleague review your content before it posts.
12. Social media sites tend to be more informal. While remaining professional and appropriate, it’s ok to relax your language, be conversational, and have fun with your posts. You will connect with your audience much better by using humor and relatable language than if you use jargon. Be sure to consult your library administration and web guidelines.
13. Be aware of current events. If it is a solemn time, don’t post light-hearted jokes or promotional items.
14. If possible, never post without an accompanying photo or video. You need something eye-catching to grab the attention of someone scrolling through their newsfeeds.
15. Showcase your patrons enjoying your resources and services. Ask for testimonials about their experience. This is a great way to show patrons that you appreciate them and to show potential patrons what you have to offer. Remember to get permission to post their photo.
     
16. Are you planning an event at your library? Promote the upcoming event as soon as possible to generate interest ahead of time. Consider live-tweeting the event, giving your followers a play-by-play of what’s happening. A great time to do this would be Constitution Day.
    1. Create hashtags for events. Make sure to search Twitter for your hashtag to ensure it isn’t already being used by another person or group for a different subject matter.
17. Use social media to establish interest groups. Since you can find a Government document on almost any subject, pull together patrons who want or need the same types of information. These groups are a great way to share and promote Government information resources. You could even ask the same patrons to offer book reviews or recommendations.
18. Be clear and concise. Use an active voice in your posts.
19. If you are posting the same idea to multiple social media sites, change up the wording to keep it interesting for those who are following you on multiple platforms. Make sure your information is adhering to the style and format of each platform.
20. Identify like-minded organizations, other local libraries, etc., and reach out to them about a co-promotional relationship where they like and share your posts and you return the favor.
21. Like, follow, and share posts from Federal agencies. Check the website homepages of Federal agencies for links to their social media pages. GPO’s social media links can be found in the bottom right-hand corner of its homepage at www.gpo.gov, and they are also linked at the beginning of this Guide.
22. Proper attribution for photo usage is important. Giving credit where it’s due cannot be stressed enough, regardless of social media platform. There are multiple categories of image licensing; users need to be aware of the terms and use them appropriately. Misuse can cause legal issues.
23. Collect data. Keep track of the posts that generate the most likes, comments, and shares. See if a pattern is present. Likewise, pay attention to the types of posts that aren’t generating much interest. As time progresses, alter your social media strategy accordingly.

Sample Social Media Posts

The following is a list of suggested social media posts that Federal depository libraries can use to promote your FDLP collection and its related resources. We invite you to tag GPO in your posts and use the hashtag #fdlp.

Promoting the Federal Depository Library Program

• Our library is a @USGPO Federal depository. Free access to official #USGov information, every day. Ask a staff member for help. #fdlp
• Did you know that we can provide research assistance using U.S. Government information resources?
• #USGov information on science, history, health, careers, defense, statistics, travel, citizenship, environment, education, genealogy, and more right at your fingertips. Ask a staff member.
• Official documents from Congress, Federal agencies, the White House, the U.S. courts, and more are available right here in the library.
• Have you seen our #USGov databases, eBooks, books, maps, journals, periodicals, handbooks, and pamphlets?
• Our library provides free access to current and historic #USGov information. Ask a staff member today.
• Need assistance on a research project? #USGov documents can help. Ask a staff member. #fdlp
• #USGov documents go way beyond laws and tax forms. Explore the possibilities right here in our library. #fdlp

Promoting the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

• Have you tried the finding tool for #USGov information? Try the @USGPO Catalog of U.S. Government Publications: catalog.gpo.gov
• Descriptive records for historic and current #USGov publications with direct online links: catalog.gpo.gov
• Free, 24/7 access to #USGov research. No logins. No fees. catalog.gpo.gov
• Free access to 1 million @USGPO publication records: catalog.gpo.gov
• Free full-text documents, reports, articles, eBooks, forms, posters, and more from @USGPO: catalog.gpo.gov
• Search across multiple #USGov databases at once using MetaLib: metalib.gpo.gov/
• Over 200 Free eBooks via @USGPO: catalog.gpo.gov

Promoting GovInfo

• Free access to #USGov documents from all 3 branches of the Government: www.govinfo.gov.
• Want to track #USGov legislation from start to finish? Visit www.govinfo.gov.
• Researching #USGov regulations? Visit www.govinfo.gov.
• Need to access documents of the U.S. courts? Visit www.govinfo.gov.
• Interested in Presidential documents like the State of the Union Addresses, Public Papers of the Presidents of the U.S., and the U.S. Budget? Visit www.govinfo.gov.
• Search and browse free documents from all three branches of the #USGov: www.govinfo.gov.

Promoting Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government

• Educational content for children and adults of all ages on the #USGov and U.S. history – bensguide.gpo.gov
• Free #USGov games and activities for children from @USGPO– bensguide.gpo.gov

Promoting Annual Government Publications

*If your library has its own social media site, change “library name” to “in the #USGov docs dept.” If your social media site is associated with a parent institution, include the library name as noted below.

• See where your tax dollars are going. The Budget of the U.S. Government is now available at library name and/or URL.
• Interested in the writings, addresses, and remarks of the President? The year edition of the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States is available at library name and/or URL.
• Want to know the economic policies of the U.S.? The Economic Report of the President is now available at library name and/or URL.
• The official handbook of the U.S. Government is now available. The U.S. Government Manual provides info on the agencies of all 3 branches of the Government. Check it out at library name and/or URL.
• Want to know your Congress? The year Congressional Directory is now available at library name and/or URL.
• Interested in the sun, moon, and stars? The Astronomical Almanac is now available at library name.
• Need a grant or help with your small business? First time home buyer? Check out the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at library name.

National Observances & Events to Spotlight via Social Media

A great way to have some fun, show off your research skill, and promote documents in a whole new way is to announce holidays and observances and relate them to Government documents. Besides the eleven Federal holidays that are celebrated, there are many observances and events that can be used to promote Government documents. The following is a sampling of observances implemented by a Presidential Proclamation, Executive Order, and Public Law, as well as some nationally-recognized observances/events that correlate well with the FDLP