March 1 marks the 100th anniversary of Cornell University Library's service as a federal depository library. As such, it has been receiving publications and public documents issued by government agencies free of charge for 100 years. In return Cornell, as a land-grant institution, makes these items available to the public at no cost.

The library houses more than 285,000 federal documents from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

The federal government is the most prolific publisher in the world, producing information on all topics in which the government is involved. The university's federal depository collections range from maps and information on public monuments and museums to congressional documents and reports, census data, information on defense and military history, health and nutrition materials and legal and regulatory information. Other topics covered include careers, business opportunities, consumer information and science and technology.

Olin Library, Mann Library and the Law Library are each designated as a federal depository library. Beginning in 1994, the government started making a small number of its documents available in electronic form. Today 94 percent of all government documents deposited in Cornell University Library are in an electronic format.

As such, the library provides computer access and reference services for these documents not only to members of the Cornell community but also to the general public.

Cornell was among 43 land-grant colleges and universities given the status of Federal Depository Library in 1907, under the provisions of the Nelson Amendment to the First and Second Morrill Acts. Today there are approximately 1,250 federal depository libraries in the United States.

Chris Philipp is a staff writer and editor for Library Communications. Anna Korhonen, Cornell University Library's government documents librarian and head of acquisition services, contributed to this article.