UNT became a Texas State Depository Library in 1963, the year that the depository program was established. We are one of 49 Texas State Depository Libraries that were strategically located in 34 major cities to provide local reference and loan services to citizens throughout the state until the operation of the program was severely curtailed in June 2011.

The Texas State Publications Depository Program, authorized under V.T.C.A. Government Code 441.101 et seq., was commissioned to collect and distribute the publications of Texas state government agencies, and to promote their use by the citizens of Texas.

By law, state agencies are required to send four copies of their publications to the Texas State Library, which keeps two copies and sends one copy each to Texas Tech University and the University of North Texas. Prior to June 2011, a large network of Texas State Depository Libraries received copies of the publications.

The Texas State Publications Depository Program has the following responsibilities:

• To acquire, organize, retain, and provide access to state publications.
• To collect state publications and distribute them to depository libraries.
• To establish a program for the preservation and management of state publications and make available state publications in alternative formats to depository libraries and other libraries at a reasonable cost.
• To periodically issue a list of all state publications that it has received in a physical format to all depository libraries and other libraries on request.
• To catalog, classify, and index all state publications that it receives and distribute the cataloging, classification, and indexing information to depository libraries and to other libraries on request.
• To ensure that state publications are fully represented in regional and national automated library networks.
• To index all state publications that are available through the Internet and make the index available through the Internet.
• To provide other depository libraries appropriate access, at no charge, to state publications available in an electronic format.