Display: Documenting America in Government Records. Keeping America Informed – From Printing Press to Digital AI Era (1700s to Present)

This exhibit reveals the behind-the-scenes—often lesser-known but highly significant—history of federal printing, preservation, and public access to information in the United States since the 1700s—inviting visitors to deepen their understanding and broaden awareness of how government information reaches the public. How has free, equal, and permanent public access been ensured—and how is it evolving today? What roles have libraries played? What do you want libraries to provide—now and in the future—to support open and reliable access to information? From the long-standing partnership between federal institutions and libraries to the evolving digital FDLP and emerging NCSA model, the exhibit also showcases the latest official government information discovery tools and highlights opportunities to learn more about and use government information services at Fondren Library and across the Federal Depository Library network. It reflects on Fondren Library’s journey as a Federal Depository Library since 1967, encouraging visitors to consider how they can help preserve and advance free, equal, and permanent public access to information in a digital, AI-driven era.