Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Last update: August 19, 2014


1. Who and What is the Northwest Government Information Network (NGIN)?
NGIN is a non-profit organization that gathers together to communicate and learn about issues affecting the publishing of government infromation at the Federal, state, county, and local levels. Most of the organization is made up of librarians and library staff that work at Federal documents depositories in the northwest.

2. How does NGIN define "northwest?"
Presently, northwest includes Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, and Washington.

3. When was NGIN established?
NGIN was founded on September 26, 1997 by a small group of librarians. Read the minutes from the very first NGIN meeting..

4. Who can join NGIN?
Anyone who is interested in government information is invited to join NGIN. Most are librarians and library staff that work in documents depositories but anyone from library science graduate students to members of the general public can join NGIN. Become a member.

5. What are the annual dues?
The annual dues are $ 10.00 for the calendar year.

6. When does NGIN meet?
We meet twice a year. During the spring, we meet at a location in eastern Washington and during the fall, we meet at a location in western Washington.

7. What is a Federal documents depository?
The Government Publishing Office (GPO, formerly Government Printing Office) is a government agency within the Legislative Branch of the government. Within GPO is a program known as the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). It is through the FDLP that the general public has access to publications published by the Federal government departments and agencies. Find the Federal documents depository library nearest you.

8. How does a library get designated as a Federal documents depository?
One of the perks of being a U.S. Congressman or a U.S. Senator is the privilege of designating a library as a Federal documents depository within their district. Alaska has 7, Hawaii has 8, Idaho has 9 and Washington State has 20 depositories. Join and become a Federal depository.

9. How many Federal documents depositories are there around the country and where can I find them?
There are over 1,100 depositories around the country. Most of them are in academic libraries, but there are quite a number located in public libraries, law libraries, and state libraries. Find the Federal documents depository library nearest you.

10. Who is askcarlos.com?
NGIN's current webmaster, Carlos A. Diaz, has his own domain name and website, askcarlos.com, which is a portal to government information. He hosts NGIN's website on his site. Find out more by visiting askcarlos.com:


Other notable resources that can be found on askcarlos.com are: