LORMAN, Miss. — The J.D. Boyd Library at Alcorn State University celebrated its 56th year in the Federal Depository Library Program on March 24, 2026. The program allows students, staff and local community members access to public records, tax forms, government documents and publications free of charge.
Danielle Terrell, director of the Natchez Library Learning Resource Center, served as the guest speaker for the celebration. As a former government documents librarian at the university, she shared her expertise in the field, enlightening attendees on the role the FDLP plays at the institution.
Terrell noted that many people only associate government documents with tax forms, but the collection is much broader, supporting research and educational purposes as well.
“It means a lot to be able to house federal information that the average everyday person would not have access to,” said Terrell. “They can learn about new laws, grants, changes to our education system, just things that they aren’t going to hear on the news.”
The FDLP, established by Congress in the mid-19th century and managed by the Government Publishing Office since 1895, collects, preserves and distributes federal information to designated libraries across the country. The university’s repository was brought to Alcorn in 1970 under the direction of former libraries director Epsy Hendricks.
Stephanie Taylor, dean of University Libraries, noted that the university holds a 25% federal depository designation, which strategically curates a focused portion of government records that directly support the university’s strengths in agriculture, healthcare and other fields.
“While we don’t collect every document, we are supported by the regional depository offered by the University of Mississippi, which maintains a complete collection,” said Taylor. “This partnership ensures that our students, staff and community have access to both specialized resources on campus and the federal information when needed.”
Through this effort, the university continues to expand access to knowledge, empowering its students and community with the information needed to grow.
