National Library of Uganda

What is Legal Deposit?

Legal Deposit is the collecting of any national\'s publishing output for posterity. The National Library of Uganda under section II (5) of the National Library Act, is responsible for collecting, organising, managing and preserving all publications is issued in the country, or on the country or by Ugandans for both present and future use.

To this end, every publisher as well as self publishing author of a book or document in Uganda at his/her cost is required by law, to deposit with the National Library three copies of every publication, or one copy of a video gram or film and ten copies in the case of any Government department.

What is covered by Legal Deposit?

1. Documents of paper or paper-like medium: e.g. every part or division of a book, braille, talking book, newspaper, periodical, review, magazine, gazette, pamphlet, sheet of letter press, sheet of music, map, plan, chart or table separately published.

2. Microform and photographs

3. Sound fixations, films, videograms, electronic documents and a combination of them.

A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a time not exceeding ten currency or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both.

Legal deposit is necessary to ensure that a society keeps a record of its history in a common place that can be accessed by all, at any time in the present or the future. Over the past four years, NLU collection as legal deposit now totals (June 2010) at 18, 254 which is  a steady growth.

How to deposit

Please send three copies of your publication work to NLU as soon as they are published to the address below:

Technical Service Department

National Library of Uganda

Plot 50 Buganda Road

P.O. Box 4262

Kampala-Uganda

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Attach your names and address so as we send a letter acknowledging receipt of your publications.

Benefit

• Legal Deposit ensures that:
• The works published in Uganda survive for the use of future generations.
• Both commercial and self-published works receive wide exposure.
•  A National Bibliography is compiled at the end of every year.

We look forward to receiving your publications.