Legal Research

GPO Access v. FDsys: What?s in a Name?

By Terrye Conroy

I use GPO Access a good bit for accessing federal regulations. In fact, I like various features within the resources provided for each of the three branches. However, because I find its search capabilities less than optimal, I?ve always used GPO Access mainly for browsing and retrieving documents. In January, I read about the plan to migrate all GPO Access databases over to the new Federal Digital System (FDsys). I?m ok with that. I just do not like the name FDsys or the url www.gpo.gov/fdsys/. I think the name GPO Access and its url (www.gpoaccess.gov) are much easier to relate to and remember, thus making it more accessible to the general public. I immediately e-mailed GPO about my concerns and received a prompt, courteous response that they would keep my comments in mind.

I just read an article in the February 2009 issue of Legal Information Alert entitled FDsys: The Future of Managing Government Information by Sonnet Erin Brown, Head of Federal Documents for the University of New Orleans. Ms. Brown, who was a beta tester for FDsys, reports that it is much easier to navigate and that its new search capabilities alone ( SuDoc Number, government branch, category, citation) make it a better site.

Ok, I?ll give it a try. They even have a FDSYS blog with search tips and announcements of databases added. I still do not like the name.  (Post-TC)

Full post as published by Cocky Law Blawg on June 26, 2009 (boomark / email).