its own records, formerly in the care of the Court of Appeals, the
manuscript archives of Maryland formerly deposited with the Mary-
land Historical Society, Maryland probate material from 1776..1800,
records of Baltimore, Prince George's, Frederick and Anne Arundel
Counties, old records of the various state offices. In addition there is
a small but growing collection of church records and private papers.

Every state, county, city, town or other public official in the State
is authorized to deposit for preservation any original papers, official
books, records, documents, files, newspapers, printed books or por-
traits not in current use. The Commission accepts gifts or deposits of
like nature from other than governmental officers. Such gifts or
deposits are kept in fireproof air-conditioned stacks, and the Hall of
Records furnishes for a small fee typewitten, photostat or microfilm
copies of any material in its possession. The Commission has a seal
and is empowered to certify such copies.

The Hall of Records is open to the public with the privilege of
examining records, under the necessary safeguards.

STATE LIBRARY..Annapolis

Name. Postoffice.
State Librarian:

Robert F. Leach, Jr. (Term expires 1943) ......... .Baltimore
Custodian of Works of Reference:

Miss Frances B. Wells.......................... Annapolis
Law Librarian:

Nelson J. Molter............................ Severna Park

The State Librarian is appointed by the Governor, with the consent
of the Senate, to hold office during the term of the Governor (Con-
stitution, Art. 7, Sec.3); the Custodian of Works of Reference is
appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Senate, for a term
of two years or until the appointment of a successor. (Ch.50, 1906);
The Law Librarian is appointed by the Library Committee to hold
office at the pleasure of said committee. (Ch. 413, 1939)

The Librarian is required to have counted all volumes received in
the Library and to keep a record of the same, including the Maryland
Session Laws, the House and Senate Journals, the Maryland Reports,
and all volumes named in various legislative bills, etc., giving a cer-
tified account of the number received to the State Comptroller before
payment is made for the same to the State Printer.

The Session Laws, etc., named above are distributed by the Librar-
ian every two years (Section 7, Article 65), the Maryland Re-
ports in accordance with Article 55, Public General Laws, 1912.

The Library is located in the Court of Appeals Building, Annapolis.
It has on its shelves not only an extensive collection of law books, in-
cluding an English collection, but a large number of exceptionally
valuable reference volumes, many of which are now out of print, and
which are being freely consulted by authors, students, research workers
and others from all parts of the country, among them the four rare
Audubon volumes; a complete file of the Maryland Gazette, one of the
first newspapers published in this country; historical reference books
of colonial times, and the records of the wars of the Revolution and
1812; books on travel, art and miscellaneous subjects, as well as fic-
tion and the current magazines.