Office of Policy Analysis
Library and Information Services
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 85,000 volumes, including the Laws
of Maryland since 1637 and 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. 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. Librarians index bills, laws, and other legislative publications.
Additionally, by law, through the Library, the Department of Legislative
Services serves as the official depository for all State agency publications
and for all county government codes. Maryland Documents, a listing of
the State agency publications, is distributed each month to legislators and
staff.
In addition to traditional library functions, staff also
writes, edits, and coordinates the preparation of legislative documents and
materials for a diverse audience. These include publications such as the Daily
Synopsis, the weekly Legislative Wrap-Up, and the Annapolis
Report. Staff also prepares the Maryland Clipper, a compilation of
newspaper clippings of interest to the legislature, daily during session and
weekly during the interim. Legislative Information Desk staff responds to
requests for legislative information from the public over the telephone, via email,
in person, and through the distribution of numerous legislative documents.
Coordinating the General Assembly's educational and
visitors' programs for schoolchildren, constituents, public interest groups,
and international dignitaries, many of whom are legislators in their own
countries, is an important part of this unit's work. On request, staff arranges
and conducts programs throughout the year, customizing each visit to specific
areas of interest. Requests may come from legislators, directly from citizens,
or from teachers and parents. Visits to the General Assembly of officials from
other states and countries are usually coordinated by Library staff in
conjunction with the United States Information Agency, Congressional Research
Service, National Conference of State Legislators, Maryland International
Center, Maryland Sister States Program, or other similar agencies and
organizations. Staff also conducts workshops and orientations about the
legislative process and the General Assembly on request.