Legal Deposit Information

Publishers are obliged to send one copy of each of their publications to the British Library, free of charge, within one month of the date of publication. The other five libraries have the right to request the deposit of publications, free of charge, within a year of the date of publication. In practice many publishers deposit their publications with all six libraries without waiting for a claim to be made.

UK and Irish legislation

The Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 (UK) and the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 (Ireland) make it obligatory for publishers and distributors in the United Kingdom and Ireland to deposit their publications.

The legislation covers printed and electronic publications, but will in future be extended to include electronic publications.

Legal deposit is the act of depositing published material in six designated libraries. Publishers and distributors in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland have a legal obligation to send one copy of each of their publications to the Legal Deposit Office of The British Library within one month of publication

The principle that a national printed archive should be maintained by a legal requirement to deposit has been established for almost four centuries. Legal Deposit creates many advantages for the author and publisher, including the preservation of their work for future generations, recording the publication by online catalogue and listing on the BNB (British National Bibliography) a system used by librarians and the book trade for stock selection.

Within the terms of the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003, a 'Publisher' is to be understood as anyone who issues or distributes publications to the public. Items published in the United Kingdom and Ireland are liable for deposit, as are items published elsewhere but distributed in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The requirement for deposit remains, irrespective of the place of publication or printing, the nature and size of the imprint, or the extent of its distribution.

Publishers are not required to deposit the following categories of material unless a written demand for them is made by The British Library: Internal Reports, Examination Papers, Local Transport Timetables, Appointment Diaries, Wall & Desk Calendars and Posters.

Agency for the Legal Deposit Libraries Web Site

Legal Deposit Libraries:

The British Library, Bodleian Library - Oxford, University Library - Cambridge, National Library of Scotland, Library of Trinity College - Dublin & National Library of Wales

The Agent
Agency for the Legal Deposit Libraries
161 Causewayside
Edinburgh
EH9 1PH

Tel: +44 (0)131 623 4680
Fax: +44 (0)131 623 4681

Email: publisher.enquiries@legaldeposit.org.uk