Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)
- Established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information.
- Provides Government information at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country and territories.
- MIT has been a depository since 1946
- The authority for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the legal obligations of designated Federal depository libraries are found in 44 United States Code §§1901‐1916.
- More information

Item Number
- Refers to a category of materials (i.e., a group of SuDocs numbers)
- Includes either one SuDocs number of multiple numbers
- The basis for our "selections" from the FDLP
SuDoc(s) Number
(also known as SuDocs, SuDoc class, classification number, or class number)
- A call number; what you'd put on the spine label, using a different classification system
- "SuDocs Number" is derived from SUperintendent of DOcuments Classification number.
- Based on the agency that issues the document, rather than on subject
- Each number has two parts:
- Stem: begins with a letter or letters, which designate the agency issuing the document, and ends with a colon
- LC, for the Library of Congress
- A, for the Department of Agriculture
- NAS, for NASA
- Individual book number: everything that follows the colon