Developments in U.S. federal government information : In-depth resources about preserving electronic information

We have centuries of experience with preserving books, but only a few decades of experience with preserving publications and other information published in electronic formats.  People who help provide the public with long-term access to government information have been thinking about the challenges and questions raised about preserving electronic government information, and making it accessible to the public.

The resources on this page include webinars and blogs featuring people discussing these questionsl

Webinar:  Tracking and Responding to Changes in Federal Government Information Access

Recorded September 26, 2025, at the 2025 Fall Federal Depository Library Conference

60 minutes

Description:  “...addresses current events, how the work of FDLP libraries intersects with broader public access concerns, and how depository librarians can play a role in identifying, documenting, and responding to risks to Federal information that fall outside the scope of traditional depository holdings…. also [discusses] the value of collaboration between depository and non-depository efforts to support a more comprehensive national strategy for Government information access."

Webinar: Disappearing Data: Grassroots Efforts to Preserve Government Information in Uncertain Times (YouTube video)

Part of the Help! I’m an Accidental Government Information Librarian webinar series from ALA’s Government Documents Round Table

June 13, 2025

62 minutes

Description: As government websites quietly shed datasets and public records face increasing risk of removal, a growing network of librarians and civic-minded organizations are stepping up to safeguard access to vital information. This panel brings together three leaders in the fight to preserve government data: Molly Blake, a social sciences librarian crowdsourcing lost federal information; Dr. Lynda Kellam, a founding organizer of the Data Rescue Project; and Jack Cushman, who recently launched an archive of data.gov through the Harvard Library Innovation Lab. Together, this panel will explore the critical role libraries and grassroots communities play in protecting digital infrastructure. This panel is brought to you by the American Library Association's Politics, Policy and International Relations Section and Government Documents Round Table.

FreeGovInfo (FGI)

• "A place for initiating dialogue and building consensus among the various players (libraries, government agencies, non-profit organizations, researchers, journalists, etc.) who have a stake in the preservation of and perpetual free access to government information. FGI promotes free government information through collaboration, education, advocacy and research.
• Primary bloggers are Jim A. Jacobs, James R. Jacobs, Shinjoung Yeo, Daniel Cornwall, and Rebecca Troy-Horton. (See more at the FGI About page.)

As part of the Federal Depository Library Program, the UW-Madison Libraries make U.S. government publications available to the public at no fee.

See the guide U.S. Government Publications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for more information on finding U.S. government publications.