Legal Deposits

Books, journals, newspapers, music, posters, brochures and other materials published or intended for distribution in Iceland are subject to collection and preservation by the National and University Library of Iceland. This is one of the library's principal responsibilities and is referred to as legal deposit. Legal deposit ensures that the contemporary culture is preserved as the cultural heritage of the future and remains accessible to all for study and research.

To support this mission, Act No. 20/2002 , requires publishers, music labels, printing houses and other producers to submit to the library a certain number of copies of their publications for preservation, regardless of the format of publication. The number of copies required depends on the production size.

All published material, whether in print or in digital/electronic form, such as audio and e-books, music, films and websites, is subject to legal deposit. The Act also covers material produced abroad on behalf of Icelandic publishers or creators.

Through legal deposit, we ensure that Iceland's rich and diverse culture is cataloged and preserved, reflecting the creative output of each era for generations to come.

Would you like to check whether your material has been received by the library through legal deposit? Look up the title on lbs.leitir.is or send us an inquiry at skylduskil@landsbokasafn.is .