Most of these materials are bound and kept in perpetuity. On the other hand materials that are perceived to have periodic informational value are actively weeded as soon as they have reached their required retention periods. With the rare exception of materials that have archival value, most materials from the superseded list are discarded as soon as they are updated. Discarded titles not on the superseded list will be offered to other libraries or disposed of with the permission of the regional depository. Despite being a selective depository, the collection does carry a broad range of multi-disciplinary materials.
Emphasis is placed on materials with either statistical or policy interests.
Materials dealing with social, health, or economic issues are also selected. Few scientific or technical publications are selected, and then only at the request of the Science Reference Division or faculty members. Most of our holdings from the Interior Department and NASA are being slowly deselected. An effort is made to obtain annual reports from all federal agencies and entities. Patent and trademark material is not selected due to the presence of the Patent Depository at New York Public Library.