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[FIRST DRAFT] AGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT INTRODUCTION

As established by an Act of Legislature in 1965, the Maine State Archives exists to serve the Government and the people of the State of Maine. The building, which also houses three other agencies, serves as a permanent repository for the past, present and future permanently valuable records of Maine government.

Reliance upon records is inherent in State and Federal governmental operations. Records are created and maintained to provide a basis of proof for the agencies' operations to the public. Thus the Maine State Archives was created to fulfill the records needs of the government of the State of Maine. Firstly, the archives allows access to the State government records in order to provide accountability of the government and its officials to the people. Secondly, the archives provides a central repository for records which deal with individuals, such as those involving vital statistics, welfare, education, basic rights, and property. Consequently, the Maine State Archives preserves and maintains the permanently valuable records for the State of Maine.

These records relate the history and functions of the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches of Maine State government. However, since these records are inaccessible without suitable guides, the first Agencies of Government, based on the public laws and the Maine Constitution, was published in 1971.

This first guide sought to introduce State government personnel and the public in general to the holdings of the Maine State Archives. It outlined the functions and duties of the various agencies created in Maine in its public laws, as well as any changes in name or composition of these various commissions, committees, agents, or colleges.

A future volume of Agencies of Government based on the private and special laws and resolves was promised in 1971. Thus this present volume includes those agencies, commissions, committees, or colleges created in this manner along with their functions and duties.

As before, the agencies have been classified according to the Title headings and placements of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated of 1964. Any agency or commission created and abolished prior to 1964 has been placed within a classification most closely related to its duty or function. The agencies are also listed chronologically within the Title categories thus establishing the growth of Maine government within a specific classification.

Consequently, with these two volumes work is now progressing towards describing the records holdings of each agency at the Maine State Archives. This involves assigning record group numbers to each agency of government in order to describe exactly what records the Maine State Archives holds for each agency or commission. Defunct agencies and their record materials available are also included to provide a general guide to the types of information readily accessible to Maine State government and the public researchers at the Maine State Archives,