In Australia, it’s a legal requirement for all books to be deposited in the National Library of Australia. Want to know more? In this interview, we chat to the library about the ins and outs of this process and why writers and publishers should be in the know.
What is legal deposit?
Legal deposit is a requirement for anyone who publishes something in Australia to give one copy to the National Library of Australia, and, depending on where you live, to a legal deposit library in your own state. Legal deposit makes up the heart of the National Library of Australia’s collection and helps us preserve this nation’s stories.
The laws, under the Copyright Act (1968), apply to all Australian print and electronic publications, including books, graphic novels, comic books, zines, newspapers, magazines, journals and newsletters.
Why should writers and publishers care about legal deposit?
Depositing your work is the best way to ensure it is preserved for future generations, plus you will have contributed to building a national collection. Legal deposit collections form a diverse and inclusive picture of the nation and capture what Australians are thinking, imagining and writing about over time. Your publication will help researchers, scholars and readers everywhere to understand the Australian experience. There are over ten million items in the national collection, and we want publishers to help us continue to build a comprehensive resource for all Australians to enjoy.
Depositing your work is the best way to ensure it is preserved for future generations.
Do self-published and indie authors need to deposit?
Yes! You don’t have to be a publishing professional to be considered a publisher—you might, for example, be a self-publishing individual, club or community group. Legal deposit applies to any Australian person, group or organisation that distributes their work to the public for sale or for free.
What are some common misconceptions people have about legal deposit?
Independent publishers often aren’t aware that legal deposit applies to their publications, especially if they have been published through an overseas self-publishing platform or service. Legal deposit applies even if you are an Australian author who is self-publishing.
Another misconception we come across is publishers and writers thinking you need an ISBN to be eligible for legal deposit. An ISBN (or ISSN or ISMN) is not mandatory for legal deposit. However, these numbers do assist in identifying your unique publication and are required for the Australian Lending Rights scheme, a program where publishers or creators can be compensated for the loss of income through the free use of their work in Australian public and educational lending libraries. While we encourage people to apply for an ISBN, whether or not your publication has one does not affect your legal deposit obligations.
Legal deposit is Australia-wide, so as well as depositing with the National Library, you might need to deposit your publication with your state or territory library. You should contact your state or territory library to confirm your local legal deposit requirements. Fortunately, when you deposit electronically through National edeposit service (NED) you can often satisfy both your local and national legal deposit obligations at the same time.
What is something unique in the National Library that has been collected through legal deposit?
The National Library was very excited to collect a legal deposit copy of Michael Winkler’s self-published book Grimmish. Winkler is a writer from Melbourne, living on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and is the author, co-author and editor of numerous books, short fiction, essays and reviews.
Legal deposit makes up the heart of the National Library of Australia’s collection.
In 2021, he self-published Grimmish, an experimental historical novel about Italian-American boxer Joe Grim, who toured Australia in 1908–1909. The book is a moving meditation on pain, masculinity and vulnerability and went on to be the first self-published book to be ever shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. It was republished in 2022 by Puncher & Wattmann, a copy of which the National Library also holds.
Grimmish forms part of a diverse and inclusive picture of the Australian experience. To have both editions of Grimmish side-by-side in our collection tells another important story about the changing nature of Australian publishing and the emerging cultural impact of self-publishing. This is something the National Library is very interested in capturing.
Images: Various book covers of Grimmish by Michael Winkler. Source: michaelwinkler.com.au.
How do I deposit my work?
If you have an electronic edition of your publication, the easiest way is to deposit is through the National edeposit service (NED) at www.ned.gov.au. Electronic deposit is free, safe and fast, and is our preferred way to receive collection items. Electronic deposits through NED are discoverable in the National Library catalogue (catalogue.nla.gov.au) and Trove almost immediately, but you can also set access conditions during the deposit if you wish.
Otherwise, feel free to simply send the print edition to the National Library. When depositing by post there is no standard form to be completed, just include your name and address on the package or on a slip with the publication and send it to:
Legal Deposit
National Library of Australia
Canberra ACT 2600
Where can I find out more?
If you have further questions about legal deposit, please refer to the National Library’s Frequently Asked Questions page or email the legal deposit team at [email protected].
