ARLIS has participated in the Federal Depository Library Program since opening in 1997. At that time, ARLIS incorporated a selective federal depository collection established in 1981 by BLM’s Alaska Resource Library, which was merged into ARLIS. ARLIS receives approximately 4% of the publications offered by the U.S. Government Printing Office.

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) distributes U.S. Government information to the American public through libraries across the nation. The authority for the FDLP and the legal requirements of Federal depository libraries are found in Chapter 19 of Title 44 United State Code. In addition to the provisions of the Depository Library Act of 1962, chapter 19 includes who designates depository libraries and which libraries are eligible for Federal depository designation.