Bibliographies, Guides and Indexes to New York State Documents and Related Resources

Since 1818, the New York State Library (NYSL) has been a repository of official New York State publications.  The State Library's collection includes bibliographies, guides and indexes that can be used to identify relevant New York State documents and related sources. Listed below are publications that have been digitized from volumes in the New York State Library's collection.  As the State Library digitizes other bibliographies, guides or indexes, links to the digital copy will be added to this list.

The titles listed below are also available in print copy at the NYSL for use onsite or for loan, depending upon condition.  Additional materials relating to New York State documents can be found by searching the Library's online catalog.

For more information, contact the Reference Desk at 518-474-5355 or via email, or see the Digital Collections FAQ.

Annotated List and Indexes of Reports of New York State Governors' Committees and Task Forces, 1925-1985 / by Robert Allan Carter. Albany, N.Y. : University of the State of New York, New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, [1986].

This bibliography was compiled by Robert Allan Carter, a State Library reference librarian, and lists the reports of governors' committees and task forces in chronological order from March 1925 through August 1985.  The bibliography includes indexes to the documents by keyword, subject and chairperson.

Annotated List and Indexes of the New York State Legislative Document Series, 1919-1976 / by Robert Allan Carter. Albany, N.Y. : University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, Legislative and Governmental Services, [1986]. 7 volume set.

This guide was compiled by Robert Allan Carter, a State Library reference librarian, and provides a list, by date, of the documents contained in the legislative document series for 1919-1976.  This guide also provides indexes to the documents by subject, keyword in title, name of chairperson, geographical names, etc.

The Annotated Lists and Indexes of the New York State Assembly and Senate Document Series, 1831-1918 / by Robert Allan Carter.  Albany, N.Y. : University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, Legislative and Governmental Services, 1992.  3 volume set.

This guide was compiled by Robert Allan Carter, a State Library reference librarian, and provides a list, by date, of the documents contained in the Assembly and Senate document series for 1831-1918.  This guide also provides indexes to Senate and Assembly documents by subject, keyword in titles, name of chairperson, geographical names, etc. 

Constitutional Developments in New York 1777-1958: A Bibliography of Conventions and Constitutions with Selected References for Constitutional Research / by Ernest Henry Breuer.  Albany: University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., 1958.

This volume was compiled by Ernest Henry Breuer who was the State Law Librarian of the New York State Library at the time. This is an excellent source of information on New York State's Constitutional Conventions and constitutional development in New York State.

Constitutional Developments in New York 1958-1967: A Temporary Supplement to Constitutional Developments in New York 1777-1958 / by Ernest Henry Breuer. Albany: University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, 1967.

This volume was compiled by Ernest Henry Breuer as a supplement to the bibliography he compiled in 1958 on constitutional development in New York State.

Guide to Sources of Information on Current Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Activities of the States / compiled by Susan Lawrence, Seth Edelman and Richard Freshour. Albany: Legislative Service, New York State Library, 1977. (New York State Library) Miscellaneous Publication No. 2.

This guide was prepared by NYSL staff in 1977 and lists sources of information that are useful in monitoring and answering specific questions on recent state government activities.  Part 1 of the guide cites general reference sources that could be used to find information on state activities.  Part 2 of the guide lists periodicals, bibliographies, indexes, loose-leaf services and organizations by subject – sources that cover state activities on a regular basis.

History of the Insanity Defense in New York State / by Robert Allan Carter.  Albany, N.Y. : Legislative and Governmental Services, New York State Library, [1982].

This publication was prepared by Robert Allan Carter, a NYSL staff member, in February 1982.  Included with this history is a glossary of terms; the NYS Insanity Defense Statute as of January 1982; material on legislative intent of section 30.05; excerpts from important court decisions in other jurisdictions; and a bibliography of relevant journal articles from 1960 – 1982.

Index of Economic Material in Documents of the States of the United States: New York, 1789-1904 / prepared for the Department of Economics and Sociology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington by Adelaide R. Hasse. Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington: 1907.

This volume was prepared by Adelaide Hasse and is one of the most comprehensive single-volume records on NYS documents.  This useful guide lists and indexes materials contained in printed reports of NYS administrative officers, NYS legislative committees, special commissions, and governors' messages from 1789-1904.  The term "economic" was given a broad interpretation in the preparation of this index.  The index itself is an alphabetical arrangement of topics such as "Canals: Individual," "Commerce: Domestic Trade" and "Street Railways."

A Legal Definition of Death / by Robert Allan Carter. Albany, N.Y. : Legislative and Governmental Services, New York State Library, [1982].

This volume was prepared by Robert Allan Carter, a New York State Library reference librarian. Carter researched and prepared this publication in July 1982 and it includes a definition of death in New York State, proposed definitions of death, prominent court decisions in other states and an annotated bibliography.

Legislative Intent in New York State: Materials, Cases and Annotated Bibliography / by Robert Allan Carter. Albany, N.Y. : Legislative and Governmental Services, New York State Library, [1981].

This publication written by Robert Allan Carter, a New York State Library staff member, provides information on the legislative intent of statutes and constitutional amendments. Included is a history of legislative intent in New York State and sources of legislative intent.  The publication also includes an annotated bibliography and seven appendixes with additional cases citing legitimacy of legislative intent, memoranda, committee reports, opinions of administrative agencies, governor approval memoranda and messages, and debates and reports from Constitutional Conventions and cases showing rules of interpretation of statutes.

New York State Census Records, 1790-1925 / compiled by Marilyn Douglas and Melinda Yates. Albany: University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, 1981. New York State Library Bibliography Bulletin No. 88.

This publication, compiled in 1981 by New York State Library staff members Marilyn Douglas and Melinda Yates, contains an inventory of federal and state census manuscripts and microfilm holdings in repositories throughout New York State. A list of the questions asked on federal population schedules (1780-1980) is included on pages 43-46 and a list of the questions asked on state population schedules (1825-1925) is included on pages 48-49.

New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967, April 4-September 26, 1967: A Second Supplement to Constitutional Developments in New York 1777-1958 / by Ernest Henry Breuer. Albany: University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, 1970.

This volume was compiled by Ernest Henry Breuer as the second supplement to the bibliography he compiled in 1958 on constitutional development in New York State.  The purpose of this publication was to list all the official and unofficial material on the 1967 Constitutional Convention from April 3, 1967 to September 26, 1967 and some of the commentaries on the proceedings of the Convention and the failure of the people to adopt the proposed new Constitution.

New York State Documents: an Introductory Manual / written and compiled by Dorothy Butch.  Albany, N.Y. : University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, 1987.  New York State Library Bibliography Bulletin No. 89.

This publication was written and compiled in 1987 by Dorothy Butch, a librarian at the New York State Library, and covers general information sources about NYS government, its various organizations, and legislative, executive and judicial publications.  The compiler identifies what official New York State publications are available, what they may be expected to contain and how they may be acquired and organized.  Because of the great number of works published by NYS government, the compiler was selective both in the agencies listed and publications described.

Nydocs: New York State Document Classification System: the Arrangement of New York State Documents In Libraries / Albany, N.Y. : University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, [1995].

Classification of the New York State Library's New York State Documents Collection was begun in 1976 as part of a general reorganization in preparation for the integration and transfer of previously separate collections to the Cultural Education Center.  Since 1977, all New York State documents have been assigned a classification number in this system. 

The Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York and the State Register: Their History and Use / by Robert Allan Carter. Albany, N.Y.: Legislative and Governmental Services, New York State Library, [1984].

The administrative laws of New York State are compiled in the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR).  The NYCRR is a loose-leaf publication containing all rules and regulations adopted by state agencies, miscellaneous boards and authorities and the Judiciary.  Notices of rule making activity with text of proposed new or amended rules and their status in the adoption process appear in the State Register.  Robert Allan Carter, a librarian at the NYSL, provides an informative history and description of both the NYCRR and the State Register and includes sample pages from these publications.

Rent Control: Statutes, Documents, Decisions and Annotated Bibliography / by Robert Allan Carter. Albany, N.Y. : Legislative and Governmental Services, New York State Library, [1982]

Robert Allan Carter, a New York State Library staff member, prepared this publication in 1982.  This publication includes significant NYS rent control legislation from World War II – 1982, with statements of legislative intent; a list of NYS documents pertaining to rent control legislation since World War II; judicial opinions of NYS rent control statutes; judicial opinions of rent control statutes in other jurisdictions; and a bibliography.

Sources of Published and Unpublished Administrative Opinions in New York State / by Robert Allan Carter. Revised edition. Albany, N.Y. : University of the State of New York, State Education Dept., New York State Library, Legislative & Governmental Service, Cultural Education Center, [1994].

This publication by Robert Allan Carter, Senior Librarian at the New York State Library, is a revision of the first edition published in 1985. The revised edition includes all known sources of administrative opinions (through June 1994), including those that are not held by the New York State Library.

Last Updated: February 9, 2024