Extended Legal Deposit Regulations Come Into Force

National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa

9 August 2006

Extended Legal Deposit Regulations Come Into Force

After three years of preparation, the process of collecting and preserving New Zealand's digital heritage through legal deposit begins in earnest at the National Library this week, says Penny Carnaby, National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of New Zealand.

On Saturday 12 August the National Library Requirement (Electronic Documents) Notice 2006 comes into effect, extending the National Library's legal deposit responsibilities to include electronic public documents, as a result of the passing of the National Library of New Zealand Act 2003. The legislation is not retrospective.

The extension of legal deposit to include electronic documents will assist the National Library in collecting, preserving and making accessible the published works of New Zealanders for the benefit of current and future generations.

'Our published digital heritage will now be catalogued and safely stored, just as our published print documentary heritage has been for more than 100 years,' says Ms Carnaby.

Earlier this week the National Library and Endeavor Information Systems announced a partnership to design a world-leading digital archive capable of ensuring preservation and future access to the nation's digital heritage collections, including those acquired through the extension of legal deposit.

>From 12 August 2006 legal deposit regulations apply to:

- Offline electronic documents (for example videotapes, audiotapes, floppy disks, CDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs) which are issued to the public, or available to the public on request - Internet documents (including entire websites, and individual documents published online, such as annual reports and consultation documents)

Publishers of offline electronic documents are required to supply these to the National Library. The National Library will make copies of internet documents through periodic web harvests. Publishers of internet documents are also required to assist the Library to obtain a copy of an item upon request.

The National Library has been working with publishers in the lead-up to the implementation of the new legislation, and will continue to do so. The Library has also published a Code of Practice, which outlines the Library's and publishers' obligations in regards to legal deposit. Copies can be obtained by contacting the Legal Deposit Librarian at the National Library.

ENDS

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