In 2015, the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) received approval from its congressional oversight committee, the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP), to implement the Superintendent of Documents Regional Discard public policy.
The discard policy states that if a regional has retained materials for seven years, the materials are available on GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys)/govinfo with a digital signature, and there are four tangible copies geographically distributed within the FDLP, they will be able to discard those materials, with permission of the Superintendent of Documents. Consult the policy, Government Publications Authorized for Discard by Regional Depository Libraries, for more details. Regional libraries interested in requesting to discard FDLP materials can:
Submit Discard Requests to GPO (Regional Discard Policy)
Timeline & Milestones
- Phase 2 Implementation: Beginning Summer 2017
- Phase 1 implementation:
- Collect and analyze feedback and data, make appropriate improvements to the current discard request procedures and processes: Ongoing
- Released the Titles Eligible for Discard List No.2 (Each list is cumulative.): April 2017
- Regionals can begin to request permission to discard: September 2016
- Memorandum of Agreement for Preservation Stewards finalized by GPO: August 22, 2016 (See GPO Partnerships for more information on Preservation Stewards)
- Information Packet disseminated to regional libraries: July 2016
- Letter from the Superintendent of Documents
- Regional Discard Policy
- Titles Eligible for Discard - List No. 1
- Draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for Preservation Stewards
- Regional Discard Implementation Frequently Asked Questions
- Instructions for Submitting Discard Requests to GPO
- Regional Discard Advisory Group formed to collaborate with GPO on discard implementation: May 2016
- Letter transmitted from the Joint Committee on Printing to GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks approving the Regional Discard Policy: August 2015
- Request sent to the Joint Committee on Printing to approve the Regional Discard Policy from GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks: July 2015
Questions or comments for GPO?
Do you have a question or comment about the Regional Discard Policy?
Contact GPO about the Regional Discard Policy
Additional Resources
- Implementation of the Regional Discard Policy: An Update: FDLP Connection article, December 2016
- Implementation of the Regional Discard Policy: Read All about It!: FDLP Connection article, August 2016
- Webinar for the FDLP community - Implementing the Regional Discard Policy: Updates and Q&A: August 2016
- FDLP Tangible Print Publications: Condition Assessment Definitions, August 2016
- Webinar: Virtual Discussion on Preservation Stewards, August 2016
- Webcast: Regional Discard Policy Implementation: A Phased Approach, June 2016
- 2016 DLC Virtual Meeting session: Weeding Collection: Needs & Offers and Regionals, April 2016
- 2015 DLC Meeting & FDL Conference – DLC session: Discards, October 2015
- 2014 DLC Virtual Meeting slides: The Draft Regional Discard Policy: Tell Me More, Tell Me More, December 2014
- 2014 DLC Virtual Meeting session recording, December 2014
- Letter to Regional Depository Library Directors about the regarding the draft discard policy, November 2014
- Regional Depository Library Discard Intent Survey Responses, November 2014
- Regional Depository Library Discard Intent Survey, October 2014
- Discussion document: Government Publications Authorized for Discard by Regional Depository Libraries, July 2014
Basic Requirements to Discard for Regionals
- Digital equivalent on FDsys/govinfo with Digital Signature
- Held for 5 years
- 4 tangible copies, geographically-dispersed via Preservation Stewards
Information on Preservation Stewards
For information on Preservation Stewards, visit our Partnerships page