Resources
Library and Information Services provides reference and
research services to the General Assembly and its staff and legislative
information to the public. The library contains over 125,000 volumes including
the Laws of Maryland since 1637, House and Senate Journals since 1826,
as well as all other state and federal laws. An extensive collection of
materials related to bills introduced in previous legislative sessions consists
of committee files and votes, floor votes, indexes, and other valuable
documents. Furthermore, by law, the library serves as the official depository
for all Maryland State agency publications and for all county government codes.
Librarians use these resources and others in the collection, as well as
standard library resources including online databases and the Internet, to
provide information on public policy topics and other reference information of
interest to the legislature. Maryland Documents, a listing of the State
agency publications, is distributed by the library each month to legislators
and staff. The library catalog is accessible on the Maryland General Assembly
website. The Department of Legislative Services librarians index bills, laws,
and other legislative publications.