Publications Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 The National Library of Australia’s Strategic Directions 2006-2008 document includes the following key objectives:

To demonstrate our prominence in Australia’s cultural, intellectual and social life and to foster an understanding and enjoyment of the National Library and its collections, we will

  • promote the importance to an open society of the Library’s collections and services, and the relevance of these to Australians
  • selectively interpret and highlight the Library’s collections through publications, exhibitions and events
  • ensure that the Library is an inviting place that encourages interaction between users and the free exchange of knowledge and ideas
  • make Australian culture visible online to the world
  • reflect through all we do the diversity and richness of the Australian community
  • develop relationships to enlist support for the Library’s work through philanthropy and sponsorship.

It is within this context that the Library’s publishing program is developed and implemented.

2. Objectives

2.1 Publications produced by the National Library of Australia contribute to the Library’s aims of nourishing the nation’s memory, of supporting the vitality of Australian culture and heritage and of demonstrating a strong national focus in all of the Library’s services, products and programs.

2.2 Publications also affirm the Library’s role in supporting scholarship and other creative and intellectual activity within Australia. They selectively interpret the Library’s collections in order to contribute to an understanding of Australian history and culture; they promote knowledge and use of the Library’s resources; and they promote the richness and diversity of the Library’s collections.

2.3 The National Library would like its collections to be widely used and disseminated and recognises that publishing material from, or related to, its collections, either electronically or in print, is an important way of achieving this goal. The Library aims to achieve a copyright and permissions regime for its published material that has as few restrictions on such use and dissemination as possible.

2.4 For the purposes of this policy, a publication is any published work that has been researched, edited, designed and produced for sale and/or distribution to the general public through print, the internet, or audiovisual, sound or other electronic media.

3. The Publications Committee

3.1 The publishing program is overseen by a Publications Committee, chaired by the Library’s Director-General. The role of the Committee is to provide strategic direction for the publishing program and to consider key operational matters. The Publications Committee is also responsible for considering new publishing proposals. In assessing these proposals, the Committee considers the following criteria:

  • credentials of the author or authors
  • standards of writing and research
  • extent to which primary material in the National Library’s collections has been or will be used
  • extent to which the proposal supports other Library activities, including current or potential future acquisitions and other public programs such as exhibitions
  • extent to which the proposed publication is likely to highlight the Library’s collections, services or role
  • extent to which the proposed publication will assist the Library in meeting its strategic directions
  • extent to which the proposed publication complements the rest of the Library’s publishing program
  • projected costs and, in the case of trade or ‘for sale’ publications, potential revenues
  • opportunities for fruitful collaboration through publication.

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4. Categories of Publication

4.1 Three different categories of publications—‘for sale’ or trade, promotional and electronic—will be produced and distributed.

4.2 The ‘for sale’ or trade publishing program will be primarily based on the Library’s collections, with a particular emphasis on the Australian collections, and each year’s program will be developed in consultation with the managers of Special Collection areas. For example, titles may draw on the Library’s Oral History, Pictorial, Manuscript, Newspaper, Ephemera, Map and Music collections. Titles will be released through the book trade with appropriate media publicity surrounding the releases. This publishing program will also include a range of merchandise, such as greeting cards, posters, postcards, bookmarks, wrapping paper and gift cards. The ‘for sale’ or trade publishing program will aim to return significant revenue to the Library.

4.3 Promotional publications will be aimed at a wide range of groups and stakeholders, from the general public to the library community. Their aim will be to promote and raise awareness of the Library’s role, its collections and services, the Library building, and to keep the community informed and updated on the Library’s developing policies and programs. Promotional publications include books, journals, brochures, pamphlets and electronic publications.

4.4 Electronic publications (E-publications) will take a variety of forms and will be aimed at the broad Australian and international communities, researchers, special interest groups, scholars, the library community and the National Library’s users. Subject to available resources, the Library aims to expand its electronic publishing activities, along with its growing digitisation program, in order to increase the range of collection material and Library services available online, along with material from partner institutions. From 2008 the Library aims to increasingly publish monographs, including legacy publications, in electronic form and make use of allied print-on-demand technologies as appropriate. Electronic publishing activities will often involve Web Publishing staff from the IT Division as well as Publications Section staff and cooperative initiatives between the two areas will be explored. E-publications will include, but not be restricted to, online exhibitions, electronic monographs, promotional websites, guidelines, e-newsletters and educational material. Related e-publishing activities largely undertaken by Web Publishing staff will include the creation of online ‘spaces’ to facilitate scholarly and research discourse and the hosting of online content produced by external parties or in collaboration with the Library (see the attached Publishing Guidelines for more detail). E-publications will be planned with a range of potential delivery mechanisms in mind (eg palm held and mobile devices).

4.5 Where appropriate, the Library will make promotional publications available electronically, through the Library’s website. Publications provided online will be consistent with the Library’s policies and principles relating to the NLA Web. Decisions about the appropriateness of concurrent online publication will be made either by the Publications Committee or through negotiations between Public Programs, the IT division and business owners.

4.6 An advance ‘for sale’ or trade titles list will require corporate approval one to three years ahead of publication. This will normally be achieved through the presentation of publication proposals for the consideration of the Publications Committee.

4.7 All significant publishing proposals may only proceed after consideration of the expected costs and, where relevant, the likely write-down on publication and/or revenue projections.

4.8 Joint publishing proposals with other trade publishers and outside institutions and organisations will be considered as part of each year’s publishing list where such partnerships are consistent with the Library’s strategic objectives, so long as they accord with the Library’s overall publishing objectives.

4.9 Publication dates of ‘for sale’ titles will be determined after considering a range of factors including the need for reliability, regularity and frequency in the appearance of titles intended for book trade distribution and the need to publicise such books well in advance of their release dates.

4.10 Coordination of release dates of ‘for sale’ publications with the activities of the Library’s sales and distribution area, and the activities of the Library’s external distributors, are important. This will be achieved through integration of publications processes, including graphic design elements, with sales and marketing strategies. Regular liaison with the Communications and Marketing Branch will also be a priority.

4.11 Where appropriate, the publishing program will support and complement other Library activities, including public programs such as exhibitions, events, education, Friends activities and fellowships.

4.12 Library publications will maintain high editorial and design standards and high standards of research and presentation. The publishing program will aim to produce well-made, long-lasting publications in a variety of formats, including electronic formats, making use of the best available material that budgets permit.

4.13 While recognising that the Library’s publishing program emphasises the delivery of high-quality products appropriate to the Library’s strategic objectives, rather than strictly commercial imperatives, the trade publishing program will aim to maximise the return of revenue to the Library from sales, providing that this program remains consistent with the Library’s overall strategic imperatives. Most promotional titles will be distributed on a gratis basis in order to meet Library objectives.

4.14 All Library staff will be able to submit proposals for Library publications. All rights in material researched and developed by Library staff in the course of their duties will be the property of the National Library of Australia.

4.15 All publications will comply with Australia’s copyright and moral rights legislation and will carefully and ethically address issues relating to culturally sensitive material.

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5. Related Guidelines

5.1 Decisions about the annual publishing program will be made with reference to the Publishing Guidelines.

6. Outputs

6.1 Projected annual outputs will be set at the beginning of each financial year based on prior commitments, available resources and corporate priorities.

7. Performance

7.1 Performance will be determined by:

  • measuring against projected outputs
  • revenue measured against projections
  • the nature of reviews and other media coverage achieved
  • conducting formal evaluations
  • comparing products and services against approved benchmarks and standards
  • assessing solicited and unsolicited comments.

8. Review

8.1 This policy will be reviewed at least every two years, or more frequently if deemed necessary

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