In general, there are few governments with effective depository systems. This means that access to governnment information can be difficult for the citizen who cannot visit an office between 9.00 and 5.00 and plead with government employees. Digital information, especially via web sites, has enormous potential to rectify this problem. So far, progress has been uneven. As with all government information, budgetary problems or political philosophies have led to fewer and less frequent publications over time.
Preservation is a considerable concern for most digital publications.
Statistical sources, in particular, are at some risk. There are several lists that provide access to state information on the web. There are also some that focus on local government information. Here are a few web sites of interest. Some U.S. Federal government depository libraries have prepared helpful guides to documents and publications of their state.