GPO Access was introduced by the Government Printing Office about a year ago as a way for researchers to access government information electronically. It was a good idea presented in a most awkward manner. Accounts were required, payment was necessary for non-depository institutions or people needing access. Generally, it was a rather off-putting project. The introduction of the Depository Library Gateway project has provided Internet users with a much easier way to access the wealth of material contained in the GPO's database. Purdue University's GPO Access page was one of the first, and remains one of the best, of the library gateway projects.
The GPO Access databases consist of:
All of these databases are searchable by keywords, and results can be viewed in three formats: full ASCII text, in summary, or in PDF format. The latter requires Acrobat Reader, a helper application that is available for downloading. Searches are completed very quickly, usually in less than 60 seconds, and are listed in order of relevancy. There is an excellent forms-based problem reporting page for people with problems or questions.
One limitation is that only ten users can be logged on at any given time, so immediate access may be difficult during peak use times. On a brighter note, good ideas spread, and there are now several gateways that are providing this service. More information continues to be made available, too, so this promises to be a resource of increasing value.
The opening page is in table format and has a background and some graphics, which may present problems for people using less sophisticated browsers. The GPO's gateway page has a few sites that are specifically designed for lynx users, so people with slow connections might want to try one of them out. The content of all the gateway sites is the same. And for individuals looking for archival material, take note: GPO Access provides information only from the 103rd Congress to the present.
University of North Carolina GPO Access
(lynx)--NOTE: this opens a telnet session
Federal Depository
Library Gateways