Overview
Legal deposit is the statutory obligation to deposit at least one copy of every UK publication, free of charge, at the British Library and on request at the five other designated deposit libraries, including the Bodleian Library. This provides greater protection and preservation by having copies of publications at more than one location.
Benefits of deposit
Legal deposit helps ensure that a nation’s published output is collected and preserved for future generations. As a publisher, this means that your content will be securely preserved, while also being made accessible in the reading rooms of the legal deposit libraries.
Inclusion in library catalogues, online discovery services and the British National Bibliography will help promote these publications, highlighting them to a worldwide audience, including the book trade. Preserving publications representing all authors, communities and interest groups is a key aim of legal deposit. Sending us your publications will help enable future research into all aspects of our culture and society.
For further information on your responsibilities as a publisher, visit the British Library website.
