Government Documents Administration

What to include in your weeding lists:

• All items published or received before 1965.
• All documents in the following categories:

Forestry
War/Defense
Anything about or relating to Native Americans
EPA
Focused on the northwest region (Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Oregon and Washington)

What you can exclude:

• Items from 1976-within the last 5 years unrelated to the northwest region.
• Superseded items that are not related to the northwest region.

Please limit each list to 100 items.

Disposal Process:

• Lists of materials for proposed discard must be approved by the Regional library.
• Materials approved for disposal by the Regional Library must be offered to Montana FDLP libraries.
• A minimum of two weeks after the materials are offered unclaimed materials must be offered to the FDLP libraries outside of Montana.
• After a minimum of two weeks unclaimed materials may be disposed of in a manner approved by the FDLP.

Portion of the The Legal Requirements & Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library Program dealing with disposition

60. Title 44 U.S.C. §1912 authorizes regional depository libraries to manage the withdrawal of material from selective depository libraries in their state or region. Regional libraries also oversee the process of substitution within the state or region. Regional libraries must create procedures for selective libraries to follow when discarding and substituting depository material. Material may not be disposed of until the regional library has given permission to do so.
Discarding depository material is a privilege granted by the regional library and not a right of the selective library. The regional library may refuse to grant permission for disposal of any publication that it feels should be kept by one of its depositories for a longer period of time.

61. There are three approval options that Regional depository libraries may use to manage the withdrawal of depository material from selective depository libraries.
• Require selective libraries to compile lists of publications they wish to withdraw from their collection (specific categories or formats may be exempted from the listing requirement),
• Conduct an in-person review of the publications to be discarded,
• Require selective libraries to check discards against the regional’s or a union “needs” list.

62. Regional depository libraries must oversee the withdrawal of depository libraries from within their state or region.
A depository library seeking to relinquish its status must consult with the regional library and with GPO. The regional library will instruct the withdrawing depository library regarding the disposition of its depository collection. The disposition of depository material must follow established regulations. At the regional library’s discretion, the selective library may be permitted to retain all or part of its depository collection.

63. A regional depository library considering leaving the FDLP or changing its depository status to selective must first notify and then consult with GPO through email at FDLPOutreach@gpo.gov, or by phone at (202) 512-1119.
 

We will keep this list updated.