Federal, State, and Local Government

Federal, State, and Local governments are mandated to maintain records documenting their organization and work. For example, the National Archives manages and preserves the permanent records of the federal government.

• Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.)
  • The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 120 million items. The collections include books, sound recordings, motion pictures, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.
• Maryland State Archives (Annapolis, Maryland)
  • The Maryland State Archives is the historical agency for Maryland and serves as the central depository for government records of permanent value. Records date from the founding of the colony in 1634 to the present.
• Maryland State Law Library (Annapolis, Maryland)
  • The Maryland State Law Library was established in 1826 and its primary function is to support the research activities of Maryland's two appellate courts and court-related units of the Judiciary. In addition, a wide variety of information services are extended to the public.
• National Agricultural Library (Beltsville, Maryland)
  • The National Agricultural Library is one of four national libraries of the United States, with locations in Beltsville, Maryland and Washington, D.C. It houses one of the world's largest and most accessible agricultural information collections.
• National Archives and Records Administration (College Park, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.)
  • The National Archives keeps the documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government that are deemed permanent for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever.