Request for Comments: Draft Preservation Policy

[Rebecca Crist, ASERL (rebecca]

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Hello ASERL Documents community,

 

I’d like to share the proposed text ASERL and the CFDP Oversight Committee have drafted as a response to the call for comment on the draft preservation policy. The ASERL Board of Directors is currently in the process of approving the text below; there may be minor alterations before it is submitted, but it might be useful to see if you are likewise submitting comments before the deadline. If you have questions or concerns, please let me know as quickly as possible.

Thanks!

Best wishes,

Rebecca

 

Proposed ASERL/CFDP comment:

 

The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) has long held an active interest in the workings of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Our Collaborative Federal Depository Program (CFDP) has been awarded for its innovative approach to coordinating activities among FDLP libraries in our region and has supported significant growth in the size, scope, and strength of tangible FDLP collections in our member libraries and elsewhere. ASERL believes that ensuring stable, permanent public access to our government’s information is critical for a healthy democracy, and these collections and services represent massive long-term investments by our members in furtherance of that belief. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the draft public policy statement regarding Permanent Public Access to U.S. Government Public Information through Preservation.

 

On the surface, the new draft policy seems flexible and simple enough, but the lack of specificity raises red flags for some of our documents librarians. It has been many of our members’ experience that a lack of specificity in policies like this can lead to inconsistent, widely varying interpretations by GPO officials over time as to how the policies they are to be implemented, frequently at the expense of the depository library. 

 

Moreover, the draft policy states both that the responsibility for preserving public access is the responsibility of the GPO, and that “GPO does not have a collection and relies on partners” and “libraries will preserve tangible content.” Aside from the lack of specificity mentioned above, we find these statements read like top-down commands rather than a mutually beneficial and shared responsibility among so-called partners. FDLP libraries undertake the responsibility and costs for maintaining these collections on their own, with no remuneration from the federal government. Open-ended, unfunded mandates such as this are not sustainable and risk driving FDLP libraries from the program due to very real concerns about unknown costs and requirements. 

 

We would prefer to see clearly delineated expectations for both the GPO and the FDLP libraries, and engagement with the depository libraries—particularly the regional depositories—as partners in this preservation endeavor who need support to execute the GPO’s goals. We value the work of the GPO and hope that a more clearly defined document will ensure success for both the office and the libraries who partner with it.

 

Rebecca Crist

Program Coordinator for Shared Collections Resources

ASERL, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries

540 Asbury Circle, Suite 316
Atlanta, GA 30322-1006

rebecca [at] aserl.org

 

From: FDLP News Team <FDLNews-noreply [at] gpo.gov>
Sent: Monday, February 9, 2026 7:56 AM
To: Rebecca Crist, ASERL <rebecca [at] aserl.org>
Subject: Request for Comments: Draft Preservation Policy

 

 

Request for Comments: Draft Preservation Policy

The Superintendent of Documents seeks your comments on the draft policy, Permanent Public Access to U.S. Government Public Information through Preservation (SOD-PPS-4-2026). This is a proposed revision of Superintendent of Documents Policy SOD-PPS-2016-4.

The purpose of this Superintendent of Documents Public Policy Statement (SOD-PPS) is to affirm the Government Publishing Office’s responsibility to preserve and ensure public access to the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information for future generations.

Major additions to the policy include the Government Publishing Office’s status as an Affiliate Archive of the National Archives and Records Administration; Trustworthy Digital Repository certifications for GovInfo; and recognition of the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information and a Preservation Program to preserve it.

You are encouraged to submit your comments by Sunday, March 29, 2026.

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