Access to the ACTC Library Government Documents Collection is open to all members of the public as well as students and employees of ACTC. The collection is available in our open stacks and is available to use within the library during library hours. Select print documents may be available for short-term loan on a case-by-case basis.
Ashland Community and Technical College has been designated as a Government Documents Selective Depository. We receive about 26% of all materials published by the United States Government. The Boyd County Public Library held the collection prior to 1990.
Since government funding for the publishing of these materials has been cut within the last decade, many documents are now only available in an electronic format. Every effort has been made to make these documents available within our library catalog, Voyager or linked from the ACTC Library websites.
As of February 2024, the Digital FDLP initiative is transitioning the Federal Depository Library Program to prioritize digital access while maintaining tangible collections. As a result, the U.S Government Publishing Office (GPO) has begun limiting print distribution. The move is meant to enhance collaboration, improve public access, and integrate new tools.
More details can be found here: Digital FDLP Implementation.
Public access to the government documents collection is guaranteed by public law. (Title 44 United States Code)
"The signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention established America’s national government and fundamental laws. At the 1787 convention delegates formulated a plan for a stronger government establishing three branches – Legislative, Executive, and Judicial – along with a system of checks and balances ensuring no single branch would have too much power.
It wasn’t until 2004 that the holiday took on the full name it bears today. In 2004, a law was enacted renaming the holiday “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” (36 U.S.C. 106) requiring public schools and institutions to provide information on the history of the country’s Constitution."
Source: Constitution and Citizenship Day
The ACTC Library offers free pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution to all, courtesy of the GPO. These can be found on display in the Government Documents section.
