Deposit your documents
[March 2007] Do you publish newsletters, fact sheets, resource kits or other materials, and distribute them either in print or via email or the web? If you do, you probably have to submit them to the National Library through the Legal Deposit system.
Our documentary heritage.
The National Library collects publications published in New Zealand, to ensure that this material is preserved, protected and made accessible (as appropriate) for all the people of New Zealand.
Legal requirements.
It has long been a legal requirement to send copies of printed works to Legal Deposit, but in 2006 the law was extended to off-line electronic documents and to Internet documents. This does not include whole websites, though.
Who is a publisher?
A publisher is any person, group or organisation of any kind responsible for releasing, or making available, a public document to any section of the public – for sale or free of charge. This extends to individuals, clubs, churches and incorporated societies, etc, as well as commercial publishers.
What is an Internet document?
An Internet document is an electronic document published on the Internet, whether or not there is any restriction on access to the document; and includes the whole or part of a website.
What is an Offline document?
An Offline document is an electronic document that is not an Internet document, and includes an electronic document that is stored or used by means such as magnetic media (e.g. floppy disk, hard drive, audiotape, videotape), optical media (e.g. CD, DVD) or an electronic storage device (e.g. universal serial bus device (USB) or memory card).
Which publications are included?
There is quite a long list of publications, but community groups may be particularly interested by these:
- books and booklets, brochures, pamphlets and leaflets
- annual reports
- conference papers and proceedings
- discussion documents
- histories of families, groups, districts and organisations
- kits containing printed text, loose-leaf publications and all updates
- magazines, journals and ongoing publications (serials), newsletters of all kinds.
Most of this short article has been taken directly, or with minor edits from the Legal Deposit web page at:
www.natlib.govt.nz/en/services/5legaldeposit.html
To find out more about your Legal Deposit obligations, how to supply documents and to have questions answered visit the web page above.