Maine has a well established institutional arrangement for maintaining and distributing state documents and records. Government documents in Maine are located in three major libraries — the Maine State Library, the Maine State Archives, and the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library.

The state library and state archives are located in the State of Maine Cultural Building within walking distance of the State House in Augusta. The state library is the principal depository for all state documents. State departments are required by law to submit copies of their publications to the state library which then distributes copies to thirteen dispository libraries throughout the state. These depositories include libraries on campuses throughout the University of Maine System (Orono, Fort Kent, Machias, Presque Isle, Farmington, Gorham, and Portland) as well as libraries of three of Maine's private colleges (Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby), the Portland Public Library and the State Law and Legislative Reference Library.