Why a Depository Program?

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance,
and a people who mean to be their own governors
must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.
-- James Madison

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This statement by James Madison sums up the rationale behind the depository program. The nation's founders recognized from the beginning that a democracy is founded on open access to information, and, in particular, on access to government information.

At the federal level, a depository program was established to ensure that government documents would be deposited in at least one library in each Congressional district. The University of Idaho Library, for example, has served as a complete federal depository since 1907.

Most states established similar depository programs, usually based on statutory authority. Idaho's own depository law was passed in 1972 and slightly revised in 1998.

Using libraries as a distribution network makes sense for many reasons. It:

• Distributes agency publications statewide.
• Provides national exposure for publications through online library catalogs.
• Locates publications from all agencies in one place.
• Provides a neutral setting for study and research.
• Offers a historical record of agency activities.
• Houses government resources with other library materials for convenient research.
• Serves an archival function.
• Provides librarians to organize publications and help users find needed information.
• Allows each copy to be used many times.
• Saves agencies postage and staff time.
• Acts as a backup when agency supplies run out.

In short, the depository program is a cost-effective way to potentially reach all Idaho citizens, present and future, with information about state agencies and their activities.