Legal Deposit Compliance: Role of National Library

Libraries all over the world are regarded as the memory base of the society as they play a vital role in societal development. The national library which serves as the apex library of any country, is mandated by law to serve as the repository of information resources. Legal deposit is crucial as a statutory obligation for effective collection and preservation of a country¿s published heritage. The legal deposit law ensures the intellectual and cultural heritage of a nation is collected, accessioned, stored, protected, preserved and made accessible to its citizens and future generations. Deposited publications are used to estimate statistical data output, immortalize publishers and measure the Human Development Index (HDI) of a country. Therefore, legal deposit law compliance is very vital in every nation. The emphasis is on building a national heritage. Hence this book is recommended for authors, publishers, researchers, librarians, nation policy makers and those in the book trade, as a guide to building a cultural and intellectual heritage for present and future generations. Though the book uses Nigeria as a case study, the principle is applicable anywhere.