Government Documents Frequently Asked Questions
State law, Title 1, Chapter 13, Section 501-A, requires agencies to send copies of all their publications (see law for more detail) to the Maine State Library to serve as a permanent record. Since many agencies do not keep copies of their own, this requirement ensures that these publications will always be available as public documents.
Maine State Government Publications Checklist include all of the state agency publications received by the Maine State Library during the indicated quarter.
The Library keeps three copies and sends the remaining 15 copies to depository libraries throughout the state and to the Library of Congress.
- Do we really have to send the Library 18 copies?
- Where do we send the copies of our publications?
- How do we contact the Library for more information?
- How do I know if my agency has submitted the required documents?
Yes and no. If the document is primarily meant to be disseminated in a printed format, then you need to send the Library 18 copies. However, if your document is only available online or primarily online, then the Library requires one printed copy but would prefer three printed copies for circulation purposes. The statute requires that the copy or copies be furnished by the agency at their expense; i.e., it is not acceptable to send an online link for the Library to then print.
Our address is:
Maine State Library, 64 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. You should send them to the attention of Government Documents.
You can also drop off the copies at the Library.
Our phone number is 287-5600 and the government documents email is: GovDocs.MSL@maine.gov. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions.
The library produces a quarterly list of documents received. To verify if a document was submitted, you may examine the new Checklist.
