Legal Deposits
Uppsala University Library was at the end of 17th century granted the right of free copies of all documents published in Sweden. The legal deposit legislation form the basis for the Library's vast collection of Swedish materials.
What is a legal deposit?
Everyone who publishes a work for general distribution in Sweden is obliged by law to send one copy each to seven specific libraries. Uppsala University Library is one of these libraries. The legal deposit legislation encompasses for example printed books, journals, brochures, maps, posters, postcards and printed music. Sound recordings and moving pictures (e.g. film) are also encompassed by this law, but these are only to be sent to the National Library of Sweden.
The National Library of Sweden and the University Library of Lund are obliged to preserve the legal deposits. Other legal deposit libraries comply with the regulations of their own universities.
Who should send legal deposits to the Library?
If the documents are printed at a printing house in Sweden, the printing house becomes responsible for sending legal deposit copies. Publishers are responsible for delivering material printed abroad.
What happens to the legal deposits at the Library?
The legal deposits that are sent to Uppsala University Library are being distributed within the University Library.
Read more about legal deposits at the website of the National Library of Sweden
