The Legal Deposit libraries are seeking your help to create a User Forum to represent the interests of all existing and potential users of UK Legal Deposit. This is a fantastic opportunity to amplify the user voice, highlight different user needs and perspectives, communicate these to the Legal Deposit libraries and influence the design and development of the service.
Legal Deposit is a collaborative enterprise in the UK and Ireland to ensure that publications originating in the territories are comprehensively collected for the needs of researchers today and in the future. Books, magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers, maps and websites are preserved at scale in designated libraries across the nations. The principle of gathering and holding the published thoughts of any given nation on behalf of that nation has been recognised in law for centuries. Many other countries see the public benefit of such collecting and so have similar systems and legal requirements: in this way, Legal Deposit across the globe underpins the heritage of the world’s shared knowledge.
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If you are interested in learning more about the User Forum and potentially becoming a member, please contact us at LDUserForum@nls.uk. A local representative will be in touch to discuss your expression of interest.
The initial call for members will remain open until Friday 15 May 2023. Our intention is to find 10-12 Forum members during this first phase and then grow the Forum to approximately 20 members in the future.
Please feel free to read the supporting information in this guide to learn more about the User Forum and UK Legal Deposit more generally, including its role in preserving our nations' heritage and how you can play your part.
