The South Carolina State Library (SCSL) acts as a resource for the General Assembly, for all SC state employees, state agencies, state-supported colleges and universities, and the public. We assist with research needs, fulfill requests for documents, and provide library materials and services. 

Our mission includes the responsibility, by state law (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 60-2-10 to -30), to act as the official state depository for all outward-facing print or electronic state publications meant for general distribution. These materials include reports, books, pamphlets, maps, newsletters, directories, regulations, and serials. Along with including physical items in our online catalog, SCLENDS, we make electronic materials available in our SC State Documents Depository Digital Collection.

Please provide SCSL with copies of any publications published with the intention of distributing them to the general public, the General Assembly, state agencies, or nonprofit organizations.

Send electronic publications whenever they are posted to your websites. We accept PDF copies of these publications, or a link to the webpage where the publication can be found. Contact us if any PDF file you wish to send is too large to send by email. Please email electronic publications to:

StateDocuments@statelibrary.sc.gov

Physical publications may be sent to us by mail, dropped off at our front desk, or you may contact us for pick-up. We request fifteen copies, three copies for the State Library collection and twelve more for distribution to other depository libraries and the Library of Congress.

Our mailing address is: 

State Government Publications
South Carolina State Library
1500 Senate Street
Columbia, SC  29201

Questions about state publications may be directed to:

Sheila Dorsey, State Government Documents Librarian, sdorsey@statelibrary.sc.gov, (803) 734-7065.

State agency publications published and printed in paper only:     

• 15 print copies

State agency publications born digital and printed in paper:     

• 15 print copies and 1 PDF

State agency publications born digital, but less than 10 copies printed:     

• 1 print copy (if possible) and 1 PDF 

State agency publications born digital only:     

• 1 PDF

State agency publications older than 5 years:   

• 3 copies if printed and available and/or 1 PDF  

SC State Library in no way dictates how an agency decides to collect publications, but here is a suggested workflow which may be helpful.

1. Select a person in your agency (or department) who is the designated state publications point person. This person will be responsible for gathering the physical and electronic publications your agency produces, and making sure the State Library receives them.
2. Determine which publications your agency produces on a regular basis, and make a list of these. The first items on the list may be the Annual Accountability Report and the agency's Annual Report. Then add any newsletters or serials that come out on a regular basis.  Other items may be produced only within a specific fiscal year, such as a special public report or study. We collect those, too. We collect anything formally printed (using agency funds) or posted to your website that are intended for public distribution. In essence, we collect the  history of what your agency does in the area of the publications it produces for outside distribution.
3. Next, determine how often your state publications point person will send us your agency publications. State law requests printed or electronic publications be provided to the State Library within 15 days of production, but we will accept publications at any time. It may be easiest to send publications as soon as they are published and ready for distribution, or posted on the agency website. An agency may prefer to send items on a quarterly basis. There is no one way; whatever works for your agency works for us. Also, for physical and electronic newsletters, please add us to any contact lists.
4. Complete the process by sending us your publications. Send electronic publications to our email address, and print or tangible publications to our physical address. 
5. Create documentation that lists details of your workflow in case of any staff changes.

Q: What is a state document?
A: For the purpose of the State Library, documents are defined as publications in print or electronic format issued by the State, agencies or departments, or state-supported colleges which are intended for public use or general distribution. The South Carolina Code of Laws (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 60-2-10) states: "State publication" means any document, compilation, register, book, pamphlet, report, map, leaflet, order, regulation, directory, periodical, magazine, or other similar written material excluding interoffice and intraoffice communications issued in any format by the State, any state agency or department, or any state-supported college or university intended for public distribution, or distribution to the General Assembly, agencies, political subdivisions, or nonprofit organizations and to the general public. State publication includes publications that may or may not be financed by state funds and are released by private bodies, such as research and consultant firms under contract with or supervision of a state agency.

Q: Do you have a list of the state publications you collect?
A: No, there is no standard or comprehensive list because items are collected based on what an agency publishes; this varies year to year. The most consistent publications are accountability reports, annual reports, and agency serials. To see examples of what is collected for your agency, it’s easiest to go to your agency’s specific digital collections page. 

Q: What items do you not collect?
A: We don't collect interoffice or interagency correspondence or memos. We do not collect emails, press releases, forms, in-house training materials, internal agency records, meeting agendas or minutes, contracts, or event announcements or tickets. We collect no internal state agency records.

Q: How do I know if you have a specific publication from our agency? 
A: Check for title in SCLENDS and/or the SC State Documents Depository Digital Collection.

Q: What e-formats do you accept?
A: At this time, we’re primarily adding publications that are in PDF format. We ask that if you have a publication in another format, such as a PowerPoint, you convert it into PDF for emailing. We sign up for agency e-newsletters and we are able to convert email newsletters into PDFs. We are also able to add publications in MP3 audio format, such as PSAs. If you have a document in a format that is not a PDF, please contact us.

Q: What if the file is too large to send by email:
A: You have several options. First, just send us an email with the title and link to the web page where the new publication can be found. Send this to: statedocuments@statelibrary.sc.gov. You can also send by email in smaller batches of PDFs, or in a ZIP file. We also accept publications by secure cloud-based file sharing products. Our IT department prefers ShareBase. With this product, we send a link and you upload the files to the file sharing site. Some agencies prefer to use their own file sharing service and will upload the files and send us a link. If preferred, you can place a large file or files on a flash drive and drop it off at the library. We’ll securely transfer the files and return your flash drive. 

Q: Do you accept past publications, either tangible or electronic?
A: Yes, both. If the physical publication is older than five years, please provide up to 3 copies, not fifteen. If the older publication is in electronic format only, please send just a PDF or link.

Q: What is the difference between a Records Officer and a person who collects the publications an agency produces?
A: "Records Officer" is the formal designation for the person who deals with agency records turned over by series and schedules to the SC Department of  Archives and History. For the types of state agency publications collected by SCSL, we suggest that each state agency select a designated person who has the responsibility of gathering and submitting the agency's outward-facing publications, either electronic or physical, to SCSL.