Government Information

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Florida State University Libraries has been a congressionally designated depository for United States Government publications since 1941. Public access to the Government information is guaranteed by Public Law (Title 44 of the United States Code). As a federally mandated depository library, FSU commits to providing free, public access to all tangible and online publications distributed by the Government Publishing Office, and to provide users with assistance using the material.

There are more than 500,000 government publications housed in open stacks in the basement of the Strozier Libraries. Our collection includes books, journals, maps, CDs, DVDs and reproductions on microfiche and microfilm. Government publications cover a wide range of topics, including business and the economy, education, the environment, health and safety, history, politics, law, science and technology, people and cultures, census, demographics and urban planning, the military, and historical congressional publications.

We are also a depository for the State of Florida publications. Section 257.05, Florida Statutes establishes the State Library of Florida as the official custodian for Florida State Publications Depository Program. The Program makes publications from the State of Florida Government available to the public. State of Florida publications at FSU are located in the basement of Strozier Library and can also be searched in the State Depository Catalog.

All our depository collections and services are freely available to the FSU and Tallahassee community. Our collections are accessible all hours that Strozier is open, and a staff person will be there to help you.

View Government Information News.

View the History of Government Information at FSU Libraries.

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Everyday Activities

Central resources from local, federal, and international governments about our everyday activities.

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Scholarly Research

Learn more about the various and diverse sources of government information that support research.

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Civic Interest

Learn about all the ways government information influences discussion and activities on public matters.

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Federal Documents

A United States Government publication is an “informational matter which is published as an individual document at Government expense, or as required by law” ( Pub. L. 90–620 , Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1283, 44 U.S. Code § 1901. These can be bills and statutes, the U.S. budget, presidential documents, congressional publications, court opinions and independent counsel investigations, regulations, and many more. As a Federal Depository Library since 1941, FSU provides free public access to our United States government information, and to provide assistance using the materials.

To learn more about our Federal depository collections, please visit our U.S. Government Research Guide.

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Florida Documents

The State of The Florida Depository collection are publications of the State of Florida distributed by State Library and Archives. FSU has been a State of Florida Depository library since the program was established in 1967, We provide access to annual and/or biennial reports of state agencies, session laws and statutes, legislative journals, statistical publications covering the most recent year, and series publications having monographic titles other than newsletters. All State of Florida laws, statutes, and journals are available in print in the Documents Section in Strozier Library.

To learn more about our Florida depository collections, please visit our Florida Government Research Guide.

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UN Documents

Our United Nations collection consists of publications by the main organs, specialized agencies, programs and funds, research and training institutes, and a variety of affiliated and related bodies of the United Nations. FSU has been a United Nations Depository Library since 1967. Our UN collection is available to anyone who uses the FSU libraries.

To learn more about our UN depository collections, please visit our U.N. Research Guide.