Recognizes that an informed citizenry is indispensable to the proper functioning of a democratic society. It is the basic right of citizens to know about the activities of their government, to benefit from the information developed at public expense, and to have permanent access to the information published by state agencies.

Declares that the state library within the office of the secretary of state should ensure permanent public access to public state government publications, regardless of the format, and prescribe the conditions for use of state publications in depository libraries.