Knowing How to Ship to GPO Means the Difference Between Success and Rejection
Completed work must be shipped to the government agency that placed the order. Often one or two copies must be sent to the GPO and 15 copies to the Library of Congress. Government furnished materials (photos, CDs, artwork, reference materials, etc.) must be packaged separately and clearly marked so they get back to the person at the agency who initiated the work in the first place. Government furnished material cannot just be placed in one of the boxes of printed material, because it could end up in a warehouse and probably never seen again. This would cause huge problems with the GPO and the agency that is expecting its original artwork, photos, CDs, etc. back. But sometimes there is a requirement to break this rule and send the furnished materials in the package with the print. Knowing when to do what is key to successfully accomplishing GPO work. A general practice is to note the government furnished material as a separate item on the packing list if it is being returned along with the bulk of the shipment.