GPO and National Archives Launch Federal Register 2.0

From our friends at the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP):

“The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR) launch the Federal Register 2.0 prototype, a user-friendly online version of the Federal Register. This daily journal of the U.S. Government has provided the public with access to government information and federal regulations for the past 75 years. Federal Register 2.0 features a new layout that organizes the content by topics similar to a newspaper Web site. The site displays individual sections for money; environment; world; science and technology; business and industry; and health and public welfare. The Web site has improved search and navigation tools to guide readers to the most popular topics and relevant documents. Users can submit comments and stay connected through social media.

The first copy of the Federal Register came off GPO presses on March 14, 1936. Over time, the collaboration between GPO and OFR has progressed to not only provide the information in the Federal Register to the American people in print format, but, as technology has evolved, in electronic format as well. Together with OFR, GPO coordinated the development aspects of the new Web site. Content is fed into Federal Register 2.0 by GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys), a content management system and preservation repository, which acts as the holder of the official content and archived information.

“Federal Register 2.0 is a landmark achievement for the National Archives, OFR and GPO,” said Public Printer Bob Tapella. “This is an example of how the legislative branch and executive branch work together to make Government information available and easily accessible for the American people. For 75 years, GPO has never missed a print deadline for the Federal Register and now we look forward to working with OFR to support Federal Register 2.0.”

“Federal Register 2.0 is an advance in the open Government initiative of the Obama administration by being able to make the Federal Register readily available and easily understood,” said Director of the Federal Register Ray Mosley. The GPO is the Federal Government’s primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published U.S. Government information in all its forms.”