FAQs About the Documents Depository Program - State Library of Florida

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the State Documents Depository Program

What is the purpose of the program?
The State Document Depository Program was established in 1967 to guarantee access to government information, regardless of proximity to Tallahassee, and to ensure that information published by state officials, state departments, state boards, state courts, or state agencies remains available to the public.

Do I have to submit ALL of my agency’s documents?
Section 257.05(1), Florida Statutes, states:

The term "public document"…means any document, report, directory, bibliography, rule, newsletter, pamphlet, brochure, periodical, or other publication, whether in print or nonprint format, that is paid for in whole or in part by funds appropriated by the Legislature and may be subject to distribution to the public; however, the term excludes publications for internal use by an executive agency as defined in s. 283.30.

Complete guidelines for appropriate materials to submit to the program can be found in the State Documents Collection Policy.

How many copies do I need to send?
If your document is produced in print format, and if you have printed more than 40 copies, pursuant to Section 257.05(2)(a), Florida Statutes, you must send 35 copies of each of your documents so that we may distribute them to our depositories throughout the state. For documents produced in amounts of less than 40, you must send two copies. You must supply these free of charge.

What happens to all of those documents?
The State Library of Florida keeps at least two copies for its collections, and distributes the others to geographically diverse libraries throughout the state to ensure Florida's citizens free and equal access to state government information.

Are electronic documents and publications also needed?
Yes. The State Library saves documents that are produced solely in electronic format, as well as saving electronic copies of printed documents to augment the print collection.

How do I send my agency's electronic documents?
Documents (and publications) can be uploaded online. Filling out a brief registration form will allow you to upload documents from your agency.

You can also send an email to statedocuments@dos.myflorida.com with documents attached or a link to the website where the document can be downloaded. Email has a 5MB limit; larger files can be uploaded through the document upload service.

Do I need to upload or inform the State Library of each publication, even if it is a long-running newsletter or series?
Yes. Because the information on the Internet and on state government Web sites is transient and changes quickly, we need official notification when each new document is released. This will ensure that no document is accidentally overlooked.

Where do I send printed or tangibly formatted documents? Can I send them through interoffice mail?
If you are mailing documents within the Department of State mail system, you can use the interoffice mail station of 9C. If you are sending interoffice mail outside the DOS system, use mail station 4500. Please note that the mail is intended for the State Library Documents section.

If you wish to use regular mail, the street address is:

State Library of Florida
R.A. Gray Building
ATTN: State Documents, MS 9C
500 S. Bronough St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250

Who do we contact with further questions about the depository program at the State Library?
Laura Baas
statedocuments@dos.myflorida.com
850.245.6642