The term “blue book” in this context refers to a book published by a state in the U.S. that contains information on government officials, state statistics, and other official information. They are typically published every year or every few years. However, these are not required by the federal government, so vary greatly in what information they contain and the format. There is no standardized title or naming convention, however many are called an “Official and Statistical Register”. Some states do not have publications that could be labeled as a “blue book”. Some states used to publish these, but no longer do. The list below is an attempt to compile links to the various state publications that function as a “blue book”.
You will also find “Other Online Resources” that may help you find some of the information that a more typical “blue book” contains.
1903-1979 available from: Alabama Department of Archives and History
Digitized, download as .pdf or .epub
Tip: Go to “Official & Statistical Register”; use filters on left to select year (click on “more”)
Encyclopedia of Alabama
From the website, "The Encyclopedia of Alabama is a free, online reference resource on Alabama’s history, culture, geography, and natural environment.".
State Information from Alabama State Archives
Links to state symbols, county information and more.
Published every 10 years, the 2008 and 2018 editions are available: Historical Report of the Secretary of State 2018 and 2008
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
From the "about" page, "The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture (EOA) is a project of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) in Little Rock, Arkansas. The mission of this free online encyclopedia is to collect and disseminate information on all aspects of the state’s history and culture and to provide a comprehensive reference work for historians, teachers, students, and others seeking to understand and appreciate Arkansas’s heritage.
Arkansas Secretary of State Election Results and Research
Historical election results, Report on Voting Trends, historic district maps, and more.
Mostly a directory of state government agencies, no statistics
Welcome : Online Sunshine (state.fl.us)
Official Internet site of the Florida legislature
Published from 1923-1990: Georgia Official and Statistical Register (1923-1990)
From the website: “A major reference work for historical research, the register contains brief biographical sketches of state elected officials, federal and state Congressional members, state agency organization and administration, and election statistics."
Tip: Use navigation on left to filter by “Year”
The New Georgia Encyclopedia (NGE) is the nation’s first born-digital state encyclopedia. Since 2004 it has provided ready access to authoritative scholarship on a wide variety of topics. All of its entries are written and reviewed by scholars, fact-checked by reference librarians at the University of Georgia, and updated regularly to reflect new information and recent developments. Nearly twenty years after its launch, the NGE remains committed to the notion that history and culture are public resources that should be freely available to one and all.
Executive Branch of Kentucky State Government Bulletin 2002
Kentucky General Assembly Legislative Research Commission (LRC) Publications
Tip: Look at the links on the right-hand side of the page:
LRC Research Reports - Research reports are documents that include a literature search, a compilation and analysis of data, and often a set of recommendations. Reports available back to 1970’s.
LRC Informational Bulletins - Informational bulletins consist of a compilation of information on a topic, usually without significant analysis or recommendations.
The most recent edition is from 1998. A digitized copy is available on Internet Archive, you will need to sign up for a free Internet Archive account to access it.
64 Parishes: Government, Politics, and Law
64 Parishes is an online encyclopedia. This link goes directly to the section on Government, Politics & Law.
From it’s “about” page: “64 Parishes is a project of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH). Since 1971, LEH has partnered with communities, institutions, and individuals to explore Louisiana’s past, reflect on our present, and imagine our future. LEH began publishing a quarterly magazine, Louisiana Cultural Vistas, in 1990. In 2008, LEH launched KnowLA, the online encyclopedia of Louisiana. 64 Parishes represents the evolution of this tradition, creating content that reflects the partnerships, programs, and mission of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.”
House Member Orientation Guide
From the website: "An introduction to the legislative branch of state government revised quadrennially and intended to serve as background information for newly elected members of the Louisiana House of Representatives." Includes suggestions for information resources.”
State and Local Government in Louisiana
Intended as an introduction to the different levels of government in Louisiana. 2012-2016 appears to be most current edition as of June 2023
Published every four years; contains government officials, election returns, department reports for education, healthcare, etc, and historical and statistical information.
Mississippi Blue Book 2020-2024
Mississippi Blue Book 2016-2020
Mississippi Blue Book 2012-2016
Archive of 1929-1949 Mississippi Blue Books
Publications from the Mississippi Secretary of State
Downloadable pdf publications
Mississippi Encyclopedia
The online version of The Mississippi Encyclopedia is a partnership between the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and the Mississippi Humanities Council. From the website: "This online version reprints all of the material in the print version of The Mississippi Encyclopedia, with some new additions. An online encyclopedia allows the editors and authors to keep up with Mississippians as they write new books, make new music, pass new laws, move into and out of the state, and modify their views."
Compendium of information on state government, state political parties and other aspects of North Carolina. Has voting records. Discontinued in 2012.
A digitized copy of manuals from the past are available on Internet Archive, some as free, some available from their “lending library”. For the lending library you will need to sign up for a free Internet Archive account to access it.
North Carolina Manual archive: Internet Archive
North Carolina Directory of State and County Officials (2014-2015)
This book was an extensive directory of contact information for state offices and officials and for county government offices and officials in all 100 North Carolina counties. The 2014-2015 edition of the book only exists in digital format. Older hardcover printed versions of the book possibly may be still available from the Publications Division (use Contact Us section to ask about such availability).
NCpedia
From the "about" page: “coordinated and managed by the North Carolina Government & Heritage Library at the State Library of North Carolina, a part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The encyclopedia contains articles covering a broad spectrum of topics and resources about North Carolina, including: historical time periods, subjects, and events; biographies, including North Carolina’s governors; counties and government; geography and environment; business and economy; historical places and monuments; natural resources and natural heritage; and many others. NCpedia also includes thousands of images.”
From the website, "Similar to other state’s Blue Books, the Almanac includes information on Oklahoma’s state agencies, and the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government. The Almanac also includes election results, county statistics, a tourism section, a wildlife and nature section, Oklahoma history, federal government contacts, lists of Oklahoma museums and statewide associations, and more." Goes back to 1909, with digitized, searchable pdf files.
Tip: after you select “Browse”, use the left hand side navigation to find editions by “Original Publication Date”
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
From the "about" page: "The purpose of this work of reference is to provide a thoughtful, scholarly retrospective of the state's past, in all of its variety. We aim to approach our past, and to illuminate our present, by examining and presenting our history in basic, well-established historical themes and topics. Each theme is complimented by cultural, regional, and geographical perspectives."
Provides information on state government as well as political parties and historical lists of government officials. Doesn’t appear to have election results. South Carolina Legislative Manual 2022
Scanned Archives from 1917-2022 from the South Carolina State Library Digital Collections: South Carolina Legislative Manuals (sc.gov)
Tip: Select “Browse by Date” along the top and then choose Year
South Carolina Encyclopedia
From the website: "A joint project of South Carolina Humanities, the University of South Carolina Press, the USC Libraries, the USC College of Arts & Sciences, the USC Institute for Southern Studies, the South Carolina State Library, and many other organizations, the digital South Carolina Encyclopedia is a reference source of the people, places, events, things, achievements, and ideals that have contributed to the evolution of the Palmetto State.”
From the preface (2015), "The Tennessee Blue Book serves as a manual of useful information on our state and government, both past and present. It contains information on the makeup of Tennessee state government, state history, national and state constitutions, most recent election results, and census data." Has election returns.
From 2006-current edition you need a subscription. There is a website version, but it is a bit hard to navigate and is not the actual published almanac (only available through a subscription). There is a free digitized archives from 2005 back to the mid 1800’s at the University of North Texas Portal to Texas History. It does have election returns. Texas Almanac - 1850 - 2005
Tip: Use filters at left hand side to select by decade
The Texas Senate began to systematically record its committee hearings and floor debates during the 4th Called Session of the 62nd Legislature (1972). The recordings contain floor debate, press conferences, speeches, interviews, hearings, ceremonies, and joint meetings with House committees. Recordings span the 62nd Legislature, 4th Called Session, through the 79th Legislature, Interim Term (2006). These digital copies of the original 50,463 Senate audiotape recordings were created by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission with grant funding provided by the Library Services and Technology Act, Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Texas State Agencies
From the website: "The list contains an entry for each current Texas state agency. The TRAIL icon links to a page containing contact and other information about the agency. The Website icon links to the agency’s home page. Since 2007, the TRAIL service has captured and archived agency Websites. The Archive icon links to the page which lists the dates of previous captures. While some agencies have since been abolished, TRAIL and Archive links still exist."
Handbook of Texas Online
This is a state encyclopedia focused on history.
From the website: "This report identifies, "(a) the boards of visitors of all public institutions, and other boards appointed by the Governor; (b) all commissions issued under appointments made by the Governor, except commissions to notaries public; (c) all departments, boards, councils, commissions, and other collegial bodies created in the executive branch of state government; and (d) such other matters as the Governor requires."
No election returns; no table of contents - difficult to navigate
Virginia Bluebook (2005 to present)
Encyclopedia Virginia
From the "about us" page: "Encyclopedia Virginia (EV) is an authoritative and user-friendly resource on the history and culture of Virginia. A project of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) in partnership with the Library of Virginia, EV publishes topical and biographical entries written by scholars, edited to be accessible to a general audience, and vigorously fact checked. Entries are accompanied by primary documents and media objects, including images, audio and visual clips, and links to Google Street View tours of historic sites. Content creation is a work in progress, with new entries published regularly."
From the website: Published each year, the Blue Book is an extensive guide containing information on current officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government; federal officers, including the president, congressional representatives and judges; and, political leaders, including party committee chairs and members.
Does have primary election returns
2017-2018 Blue Book is most recent available
West Virginia Blue Book (1916-2017)
**Note: This link also provides access to many other publications of the West Virginia Legislature, scroll to see the available titles.
Legislative Manual 2021-2022
Compendium of WV government officials, plus other information. A more abbreviated publication than the Blue Book, this manual is updated every two years and contains photographs and biographies of the current governor and legislators. It also contains the names of congressional representatives, elected state officials, judicial officers, legislative staff, members of the press, former governors and past legislators. In addition, each manual includes statistical information on population, legislative rules, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and West Virginia.
West Virginia Encyclopedia
From the website, "e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia is the comprehensive reference resource for the Mountain State of West Virginia. Based on the best-selling West Virginia Encyclopedia, e-WV offers thousands of articles on West Virginia’s people and places, history, arts, science and culture."