Agency for the Legal Deposit Libraries
The Agency for the Legal Deposit Libraries (formerly known as the Copyright Libraries Agency[1]) acts as on behalf of five of the legal deposit libraries of the United Kingdom to obtain copies of material published and distributed in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, in accordance with the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 and Irish Copyright Act 1963.
The Agency acts on behalf of the Bodleian Library, the Cambridge University Library, the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, the National Library of Wales and the National Library of Scotland. These five libraries, designated as legal deposit libraries under the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 and Irish Copyright Act 1963, are entitled to request a free copy of any material published in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland within twelve months of its publication.
The Agency submits requests to publishers on behalf of the libraries. Publishers are then responsible for sending copies of materials directly to the five individual libraries, or to the Agency, for redistribution. Many publishers submit copies of works to the Agency in advance of receiving a request[2]. Libraries may also submit requests directly to publishers[3].
The Agency does not act on behalf of the British Library, which has a special status under the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 and Irish Copyright Act 1963, meaning they are entitled to receive copies of published materials automatically, without needing to request them. The British Library maintains its own Legal Deposit Office to handle receipt of materials submitted to them.
References
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