Am I required to deposit my new publication?

Yes. If your work was published in Australia, you need to deposit a copy with the National Library. This includes works that are self-published or published commercially. See how to deposit

You may also need to deposit even if you published outside of Australia: works that are by Australian residents and hosted on overseas web platforms are also included. For instance, a self-published work by an Australian on Amazon. Even some online works by non-Australians that are about Australia may also be included. 

How many copies should I deposit?

Please deposit only one copy (and not both the hardback and the softcover). Remember that we prefer digital format. If we end up with multiple copies of an item that we don’t need, we may have to dispose of them, so please make sure you deposit just one copy. Find out more about our Collection Deaccessioning and Disposal policy.

What do I need to include with my deposit?

When depositing a print copy of your publication, please put your name and contact details on the envelope/packing for our records. There is no form that needs to go with the item. 

When do I need to deposit?

Deposit or deliver your materials within one month of publication. 

What if the work has been published in multiple formats?

A work may be published in multiple formats, such as a print copy as well as in eBook format. If this happens publishers are required to deposit only one format of their publication, and the Library prefers digital. This way it's free, easy, safe and fast. You deposit an electronic copy of your publication through the National edeposit service (NED). By depositing into NED publishers meet their national obligations for legal deposit requirements. 

Will I get an acknowledgement when I’ve deposited something?

If you make a digital deposit to NED you’ll get an automatic acknowledgement. We do not send an acknowledgment letter for an item that’s been deposited in print. This is because we have a high volume of materials being deposited. Look out for your item to appear in our catalogue.

When will my publication appear in the catalogue?

For digital deposits via the NED service, the catalogue record is usually available immediately. You will be able to see the work in the National Library’s catalogue and Trove, the national discovery service. Please note magazines and periodicals may take a little longer to appear. Print copy publications will be catalogued and processed usually within three months.

How will my publication be made available?

For digital deposits made via NED, you get to choose the level of access to your electronic publication. This can be onsite only access at the National Library in Canberra and onsite at your state/territory library. The public can access print copies in the Library’s reading room.

Does legal deposit apply to electronic publications?

Yes. Items that are originally published in digital form should be deposited in NED.  An example of this is a book that’s only published online as an eBook. Publishers must deposit copies of electronic publications via the NED service to meet their legal deposit obligations. Please don’t send copies of electronic publications to the Library via email, as they won’t be accepted. 

If you have an enquiry about depositing a digital version, please contact your assigned member library.

Can I deposit a scan or preprint copy of my book via NED?

Sorry, but we can’t accept publisher’s preprints or scans as legal deposit.

You must deposit a copy of the publication in its published form. So if the item was only published in print copy, you must submit a print copy. 

 What counts as a legal deposit publication?

 Legal deposit includes anything that’s published. This includes:

Published means an item that is available to the public for sale or for free.

Should I always deposit serials in digital form?

The key is consistency. If you’re a serial or magazine publisher and decide to deposit your issues in NED, we prefer it if you keep consistently depositing it in digital form. So once you start depositing digital issues, please don’t revert back to depositing print versions.

Should I deposit the new edition of my publication?

We accept new editions of books for legal deposit, which are added to the collection alongside previous editions.

A new edition should have an edition statement on the imprint page (e.g. second edition, revised edition) and a new ISBN. New editions often have new content or extensive revisions.

Should I deposit the reprint of my publication?

You don’t need to deposit reprints, or updated versions containing minor changes or corrections. This is why we strongly encourage everyone to make sure that they have submitted the final version of their publication.

Do I have to make a legal deposit of my website?

Websites and blogs are considered legal deposit. But you don’t have to do anything. The Library collects web content ourselves.

Find out more about Web Archiving

Do government publications have to be deposited?

Yes. The publications of Commonwealth Departments and Agencies are subject to the legal deposit provisions of the Copyright Act (1968). Since 2016, this Act has applied to both digital and print publications.  

Online Government publications can be deposited through the National edeposit service which is speedy and instant.

Further details on the Commonwealth Library Deposit and Free Issue Schemes are available from the Digital Transformation Agency.

How does my deposited item fit in with the Australian lending rights scheme?

The Library doesn’t look after the Australian Lending Rights Scheme. If you need information about the scheme, including how to apply and your eligibility, please contact the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and the Arts. More information about the scheme and their contact details can be found online at https://www.arts.gov.au/funding-and-support/lending-rights.

Do I need an ISBN, ISSN or ISMN to deposit?

No. ISBN (for books) and ISSN (for serials) or ISMN (for music) are not needed to make a deposit. They have benefits in the retail trade and identify your unique publication. See Services for publishers for further information.

I received a notification from the Library’s web crawler, what do I need to do?

Nothing! You have already met your legal deposit requirements. We take care of all website legal deposits ourselves. If there are any difficulties harvesting your public website, we may contact you directly. You can find further information on the notice to the publisher of the online material.

How will my website be made available?

Archived websites are made available to the public through the Australian Web Archive in Trove.

Any other questions?

If your question is about making an electronic deposit via NED, please get in touch with your assigned member library. Your member library is decided by the State or Territory in which your work was published.

For any further questions about your legal deposit, please contact us.