The UK Legal Deposit Libraries (including Trinity College Library Dublin) have welcomed the UK Government’s response to the public consultation on the ‘draft regulations and guidance for non-print legal deposit’ and its commitment to deliver regulations for non-print content.
In particular, the UK Legal Deposit Libraries welcome the UK Government’s move to regulate on:
– The deposit of works on CD-ROM and other offline media;
– The harvesting of online content, which will allow a great deal of material and most UK websites to be archived and thus avoid a digital black hole; and
– Agreements with publishers for depositing the published digital equivalent of printed works in place of depositing the printed version. This, in the long term, will enable the Legal Deposit Libraries and the publishing sector to reduce costs.
The Legal Deposit Libraries will support the UK Government and work with the publishing industry to achieve these aims as well as provide any additional information required to ensure the success of these regulations.
In addition, the Libraries will work with the publishing industry to resolve any technical concerns and identify the true costs and public benefit of regulating on other methods of delivery. It is hoped that it will be possible to extend the regulations to cover such methods within a few years.
Notes
- The Legal Deposit Libraries are:
The British Library, The National Library of Scotland, The National Library of Wales, Bodleian Library Oxford, Cambridge University Library and Trinity College Dublin.
Robin Adams, Librarian and College Archivist
7 April 2011