FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  January 12, 2007
No. 07-07-02
GPO MEDIA CONTACT:  VERONICA METER     202.512.1957, 202.441.6226 cell
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U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS MEDIA CONTACT:  MANUEL ALBA  202.376.7700
THURGOOD MARSHALL LAW LIBRARY MEDIA CONTACT:  LORI ROMER 410.706.0023
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GPO FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY OFFERS FIRST-EVER DIGITAL COLLECTION OF CIVIL
RIGHTS DOCUMENTS

WASHINGTON-As the Nation pauses to remember the achievements of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) teams up with
the United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) and the Thurgood
Marshall Law Library, University of Maryland School of Law, to provide the
American public a website of authentic Civil Rights historical publications.

"GPO is honored to be participating in this project," said Judith Russell,
Superintendent of Documents. "This is an example of GPO's mission to improve
service to the public and assure permanent access to digital collections."

The Thurgood Marshall Law Library, which is a GPO Federal Depository
Library, has been scanning hundreds of historical Civil Rights publications
to make this digital collection possible.  These documents are provided by
USCCR.  With a couple strokes of the keyboard, Americans can access Civil
Rights documents such as The Civil Rights Act.  These documents are
accessible at: 
<http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/usccr/index.asp>

"The Commission has continued to play a vital part in the efforts to combat
discrimination in America. By providing access to the historical record of
this important federal agency, the Thurgood Marshall Law Library will offer
the public an opportunity to examine the efforts of the Commission more
closely, while aiding the Commission in its role as a clearinghouse for
information about civil rights," said Kenneth L. Marcus, United States
Commission on Civil Rights.

"In conjunction with the Thurgood Marshall Law Library's strategic plan to
enhance its civil rights collection in support of the School of Law's
teaching and research mission, the Library has worked since 2001 to create a
complete electronic record of United States Commission on Civil Rights
publications," said Bill Sleeman, Assistant Director for Technical Services
at the Thurgood Marshall Law Library.

The U.S. Government Printing Office is the Federal Government's primary
centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing,
authenticating, and preserving published U.S. Government information in all
its forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of
information products and services for all three Branches of the Federal
Government. In addition to publication sales, GPO makes Government
information available at no cost to the public through GPO Access
(www.gpoaccess.gov), and through partnerships with more than 1,250 libraries
nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more
information, please visit <www.gpo.gov>.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency
charged with monitoring federal civil rights enforcement.  Members include
Chairman Gerald A. Reynolds, Vice Chairman Abigail Thernstrom, and
Commissioners Jennifer C. Braceras, Peter N. Kirsanow, Arlan D. Melendez,
Ashley L. Taylor, and Michael Yaki. Kenneth L. Marcus is Staff Director.
Commission meetings are open to the media and general public.  For more
information, please visit <www.usccr.gov>

The Thurgood Marshall Law Library, the University of Maryland School of Law,
boasts over 400,000 volumes of American and foreign legal materials and an
outstanding collection of electronic sources. A full range of research
support services by experienced law librarians make the Library an excellent
research facility for scholars, the judiciary and the practicing bar.  For
more information please visit: <www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall>.