Discussion Paper on the Extension of Legal Deposit of 'library material'
A review of the legal deposit scheme is being undertaken jointly by the Department of Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The current legal deposit scheme requires Australian publishers of ‘library material’ to deposit copies of that material with the National Library of Australia. ‘Library material’ includes all paper-based publications, books, pamphlets, sheet music and periodicals that are published in Australia.
The scheme currently does not apply to films, sound recordings or other materials in an electronic form, such as web material or books published electronically. An extended legal deposit scheme may assist in the collection and preservation of the nation's important cultural material.
The Extension of Legal Deposit Discussion Paper (File size: 91Kb) canvasses issues raised by the possible extension of the current legal deposit scheme to include audiovisual and electronic material.
Submissions in relation to the 2007 Discussion Paper on the Extension of Legal Deposit closed on Friday 2 May 2008.
