Minnesota State Documents

The Legislative Reference Library is Minnesota's depository library for state agency and consultant's reports (Minnesota Statutes 3.302, 3.225). The collection is searchable through the Library's catalog.

Identify New State Government Documents

• Just In (Sign up for the Just In email list) - A monthly list combining state agency documents and materials from other publishers. Titles are arranged by subject and each issue of Just In includes a short essay on a timely public policy topic.
• Newly Acquired State Government Reports (Sign up for the Newdocs email list) - A continuously updated list of the newest state government reports received by the Legislative Reference Library. The list includes both reports mandated by the Legislature and other documents from state agencies.

Find State Documents

The collection is searchable through the Library's catalog, on the Web via MnLINK (the statewide union catalog), and worldwide through OCLC's WorldCat (a bibliographic database). The Legislative Library provides full cataloging for state documents.

• Reports Mandated by the Legislature - Documents specifically required by the Legislature are a subset of all state documents. This page gives tips on how to search for mandated documents in the Library's mandated reports database and catalog.
• Minnesota State Agency Periodicals - Alphabetical by title or by by publisher.
• Notable Minnesota State Documents (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001) - In these years librarians chose exemplary documents and websites. See the NCSL LRL Notable Documents Award Winners for additional documents from 1998-present.
• Minnesota Publications - Pre 2003 (Edocs) - Earlier Minnesota documents continue to be scanned and made available online.

Background

According to Minnesota Statutes 3.195 and 3.302 Subd. 3, the Legislative Reference Library is to receive all documents published by the state and considered to be of interest or value to the Library. The Library places a priority on acquiring reports mandated by the Legislature. However, since the Library began in 1969, it has also collected other Minnesota state documents, including consultant's reports and many earlier documents.

The Library's catalog links to digital copies of state agency documents (Minnesota Edocs) stored by the Library. The digital copies are from 2003 to the present, with many older documents added on a selected, ongoing basis. (Read background information on the beginning of the Minnesota Edocs program.)

History

From 1981 through 2003, the Legislative Reference Library participated in the microfiche-based Minnesota State Depository System. While this system no longer exists, core functions of the original program continue:

• Library staff members continue to acquire and catalog state documents.
• The Library retains paper copies of many documents in its collection on a permanent basis.
• Since 2003, the Library retains electronic copies of Minnesota Publications (Edocs).