What do I need to deposit?
Questions about legal deposit answered including do I need to deposit, when should I do it, and how many copies I need to send.
Do I need to deposit?
Use the flowchart to find out if you need to deposit your publication with the National Library of New Zealand.
Read our list of things you don't need to deposit.
Long description — do I need to deposit?
The flowchart asks two questions.
Are you a person or organisation based in New Zealand and are you making a publication available to the public?
If you answer no to either question, you don't need to deposit.
If you answer yes to both, the flowchart shows what action must be taken.
For physical publications you need to provide copies.
For digital publications with restricted access you need to either provide a copy or provide a way for us to access the publication.
For digital publications with open access you need to provide us with an online address.
When do I need to deposit my publication?
Send your publication within 20 days of publication. If you miss the deadline please send us your publication anyway.
How many copies do I need to deposit?
The number of copies you need to provide depends on a variety of factors. Use the information below to work out what you need to send us.
Physical or digital publications
Long description — how many copies do I need to deposit?
For most physical publication you need to submit 2 physical copies.
For physical publications where:
there are 1 to 99 copies published, or
it is a one-off and costs more that NZ$1000 per copy, or
it is an ongoing publicaton and costs more that NZ$3000 per year submit 1 physical copy.
For all digitial publications submit a digital copy or provide us with an online address where we can download a copy.
Digital and physical formats of the same publication
If your publication is publicly available in physical and digital formats, please deposit a physical and digital format.
The number of physical copies you need to send will depend on how many copies you have published.
Text, video and audio versions of the same publication
We consider text, video and audio versions of the same work as different publications. Each version should be supplied. For example, when you are publishing an eBook (textual work) and a digital audiobook, a copy for both must be supplied.
Print-on-demand books
Print-on-demand is when a publication file is uploaded by a content creator to a platform that provides a print-on-demand service. When a customer purchases a print copy, a book is printed and delivered directly to the customer, with no involvement from the content creator.
If a book is print-on-demand and is also published as a digital publication, you just need to deposit the digital version.
If it is not being released as a digital publication, please send us one copy of the physical POD publication.
Should I send all the editions?
Yes. We collect each edition and update of physical and digital publications to provide continuity to our collections. This lets researchers trace the development of works and changes to the context in which they were created.
Minor typographical changes do not constitute a new edition.
Deposit your publication
Use our online form to deposit your physical or digital publication.
Need help?
Have a look at the legal deposit help page or get in touch if you have questions about legal deposit.
Phone — 04 474 3104
Email — legaldeposit@dia.govt.nz
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Deposit your publication
Use our online form to deposit your physical or digital publication. The National Library collects New Zealand's documentary heritage. Depositing your publication with us ensures your work will be preserved for future generations.