Government Printing Office, United States

Government Printing Office, United States (GPO), federal bureau originally authorized in 1860 that performs printing and binding for Congress and federal departments and agencies, distributes government publications in printed and electronic formats, and reprints documents for public purchase. It sells, through mail order and government bookstores, approximately 12,000 printed and electronic publications, and administers the program through which selected government publications are made available at some 1,350 depository libraries throughout the United States. The GPO also provides on-line access to the Congessional Record and other key government publications.