The Online Federal Depository

GPO is also going forward with plans to digitize documents of the historical collections from the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). GODORT's Rare and Endangered Government Publications Committee has voted to appoint four individuals to work with GPO to review the results of GPO's digitization ranking survey and to guide GPO in the nomination of materials that would be optimal for initial digitization activities. There will be additional opportunities for input from the library community, as GPO continues to develop plans for the digitization of the legacy collection.

So what can we expect, realistically? Documents librarians are contemplating the future with trepidation and anticipation in equal parts, wary yet trusting that as a group they can preserve access by working with GPO and talking with legislators about the needs of our/their constituents. At least 25% of the materials we now select in paper will continue to be printed because they fall within an established Essential Titles list.

Thomas Jefferson said, "The foundation of a democracy is an informed populace." He felt that democracies only work if people understand the issues of their country well enough to participate in government in an informed, enlightened fashion. The future of our democracy will be significantly affected by our ability to shape the tools that technology gives us to the good and well being of the nation.