Legal Deposit Program

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Flag of Manitoba

A partnership between the Library and Publishers in Manitoba

What is legal deposit?

Legal deposit is the legislated means by which one copy of any material published here in Manitoba is sent gratis by the publisher to the Manitoba Legislative Library. The depository requirements are set out by the Legislative Library Act.

Manitoba publishers and the Manitoba Legislative Library have co-operated since 1919 to assure the preservation of books, reports and all issues of every newspaper and periodical published in the province via legal deposit.

Our legal deposit collection includes Manitoba materials published in any language such as Cree, English, French, German, Michif, Polish, Tagalog, Ukrainian.

The legal deposit process makes it possible for the Library to collect, preserve and make these materials accessible to the public for current and future research.

What are the benefits?

Manitoba's published heritage remains in perpetuity in the province.

The Library endeavours to maintain as complete a collection of Manitobiana as possible including works published in Manitoba, written by Manitobans, and those about Manitoba.

Microfilming program of newspapers

Where possible, commercially available microfilm of newspapers are purchased to replace originals. In addition, the Library microfilms other provincial newspapers. These two complementary activities ensure preservation of current (PDF) and historical newspapers.

Where the Library owns the microfilm negatives, organizations or individuals can arrange to have positive microfilms produced. Arrangements and cost information are available upon request contacting the Main Reading Room.

Access to the legal deposit collection

Records are added to our online catalogue for all items received on legal deposit.

For more information on publishing in Manitoba, contact:

Association of Manitoba Book Publishers

Manitoba Community Newspaper Association


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