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The Helsinki University Library

Practical Instructions

Number of copies to be submitted
Print on Demand (PoD)
Material-specific instructions
Frequency of deposits
Lists of the items delivered
Delivery addresses
Deposit instructions
Legal deposit of printed and audiovisual materials manufactured abroad

Number of copies to be submitted

• Printed publications: 6 copies, except
  
• Ephemera (small publications): 2 copies
  
• Newspapers: 1 copy
• Sound, image and electronic recordings: 1 copy
  
• Multimedia publications (as complete works): 1 copy
  

Print on Demand (PoD)

Print on Demand means that copies of a book or other document are printed according to received orders, sometimes only one copy at a time. Since the printing method or the size of the print run does not affect the legal deposit requirement, legal deposit copies must be submitted also of PoD publications.

As long as the content and physical appearance of the publication does not change, all copies of a PoD publication are considered to belong to the same print run (ISO 5127). Legal deposit copies must only be submitted once when the first copies belonging to a print run are produced. When a new edition is published or the publication is otherwise changed, new legal deposit copies must be submitted.

The manufacturer or the publisher responsible for submitting legal deposit copies of a publication can apply to the National Library for permission to submit less than the full number (6) of copies, for instance, if the print run is very small. If more copies of the publication are produced later, the full number of legal deposit copies must then be submitted.

Material-specific instructions

Maps and posters
Printed music
Newspapers
Online materials
Sound, image and electronic recordings

Frequency of deposits

Legal deposit copies are to be sent to the National Library four times a year: January, April, July and October. It is requested that large printing houses provide deposits more often.

Lists of the items delivered

Two signed lists of the content must be attached to each deposit. One of the lists will be signed and returned to the sender. Packing lists must include standard identifiers of the publications and recordings included and the number of submitted copies on each publication, as well as the period of time the delivery covers.

• Legal deposit copies packing list (form template)

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• Legal deposit copies packing list: newspapers (form template)

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Delivery addresses

Legal deposit copies are to be sent to the following address:

The National Library of Finland
Legal Deposit Office
P.O. Box 26 (Teollisuuskatu 23)
FI-00014 University of Helsinki

Newspapers

All Finnish newspapers are recorded on microfilm. Unlike other material, they are sent directly from the printing house to the Centre for Preservation and Digitisation in Mikkeli to the following address:

The National Library of Finland
The Centre for Preservation and Digitisation
Saimaankatu 6
FI-50100 Mikkeli

Deposit instructions

• The depositor is responsible for all expenses (including shipping).
• The material must be provided complete in the form in which it is distributed.
• Legal deposit copies must feature the necessary printing information and dates.
• If a product is confidential or secret, i.e., information on it must not be given to outside parties, the depositor must notify the National Library of this fact.
  
• The National Library can grant exceptions to the deposit requirements on certain grounds.
• If the deposit requirement is neglected, the manufacturer or publisher responsible for the submission of legal deposit copies can be imposed under the penalty fine to fulfill its responsibility.
  

Legal deposit of printed and audiovisual materials manufactured abroad