Visitors to the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library will find one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Maryland government publications in the State. The collection ranges from 19th Century reports of the State Oyster Commission, housed in the Library's Special Collections Room, to the latest agency digital publications, retained in the Legal Information Preservation Alliance's Legal Information Archive.
By statute, the Library operates as a depository member of the State Publications Depository and Distribution Program. The Library built this unique selection of Maryland agency publications using a variety of innovative methods, including cooperative networking with area libraries. In order to make the Library's print collection more accessible to users, it devised many years ago an exclusive call number system, patterned after the one for Federal government documents. For the Library user, this means it is easy to scan the shelves for similar material produced by the same agency.
Additionally, the Library possesses an historic assortment of secondary sources about Maryland. Highlights include: history books about Maryland counties and towns, accounts of Maryland historical events, genealogical data on Maryland families and the Baltimore Sun, Maryland Daily Record and the Annapolis Capital on microfilm and online through the database collection. The Library continues to collect Maryland history, especially as it relates to law and government.
The Library believes that its repository of Maryland government publications and historical materials gives additional meaning and context to its law collections. The Library welcomes researchers to explore the distinctiveness of these special resources.