ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program --------------------------------------------------------------------- February 15, 2000 GP 3.16/3-2:21/04 (Vol. 21, no. 04) --------------------------------------------------------------------- GPO Releases Kids' Guide to Online Government Information Ben Franklin Provides Guided Tour of the Federal Government Using Information Resources Available through GPO Access The Government Printing Office (GPO) has released an exciting new web site for students, parents, and teachers. This powerful resource, called Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids, at , provides a fun and educational introduction to how the U.S. Government works based on information resources available through GPO Access, GPO's acclaimed Internet site, at . With Benjamin Franklin as a guide, the kids' pages cover topics such as the U.S. Constitution, how Federal laws are made, the branches of the Federal Government, and what it means to be a U.S. citizen. Ben's Guide also includes games and links to other U.S. Government web sites created for kids. A service of GPO's Superintendent of Documents, Ben's Guide offers instruction in the use of the primary source materials on GPO Access. It includes resources tailored to four specific age groups, plus a special set for parents and educators. Franklin was chosen as the tour guide through this site because he once held the title of "public printer," the Government's printer, for several of the American colonies. He also helped organize one of the first libraries in America. According to the current Public Printer of the United States, Michael F. DiMario, "Students in this Nation could benefit from greater understanding of how their Federal Government works. With Benjamin Franklin's 294th birthday coming up on January 17, 2000, we're making Ben's Guide available to help students understand and appreciate the link between their Government and the information it produces." Ben's Guide complements the efforts of Federal departments and agencies in the executive branch to expand access to Internet-based educational resources for children, teachers, and parents, following a directive from President Clinton dated April 18, 1997. Since its release, Ben's Guide has been received positively by the library community. A prototype of Ben's Guide was critiqued at the American Association of School Librarians conference in November 1999, where it received excellent reviews. The Newsletter of the Documents Interest Group of Oregon (December 1999) described Ben's Guide as a "well-designed children's web site" that "could be useful for reference questions as well," and characterized it has having "an attention to detail and to readability that is exemplary in web design."