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Publishing guidelines

1. ‘For sale’ or trade publishing

  • All credible new publishing proposals for ‘for sale’ or trade publications received by the Publications Section, will be taken to the Publications Committee for consideration with a provisional budget for the publication, including estimated unit cost and revenue potential.
  • If the proposal is endorsed a contract for the publication will be drawn up. Once this contract has been signed by the author and representatives of the Library the publication will go forward.
  • If deemed necessary by the Director, Publications and Events Branch, a publication may be taken back to the Publications Committee for further consideration. This would only occur if the manuscript failed to meet the Library’s publishing standards or if publication would result in a significant budget issue for the Library.

2. Promotional publishing

  • Promotional publishing includes all Library information or promotional material, except advertisements, in printed or electronic formats. Promotional publishing proposals will be considered at meetings of the Publications Committee following an annual bid process coordinated by Publications staff. Prior approval for such proposals must be obtained through the Head of the Division from which the proposal comes.
  • Only those publications approved by the Committee will be produced by the Publications and Events Branch, in accordance with approved procedures disseminated to staff. However, urgent requests between meetings may proceed with the approval of the Assistant Director-General, Public Programs. Such requests will be reported retrospectively to the Publications Committee.

3. Electronic publishing

  • Planning for electronic publications will consider a range of possible delivery mechanisms including, but not limited to, the World Wide Web, palm held and mobile devices.
  • The Publishing Section will create electronic publications that are attractive, user-friendly, well-structured and accessible by a wide audience. These publications will employ appropriate standards for metadata and will be promoted to a wide online audience through search engines, ensuring that the Government’s and the Library’s accessibility requirements are adhered to. The Library’s preservation strategies for the persistence of electronic publications will also be applied.
  • The Electronic Publishing Section will work closely with the IT Division to ensure a coherent library-wide framework for web publication and graphic design. The Electronic Publishing Section will also work within the guidelines of the National Library’s Web Policies and Principles, IT infrastructure and the Government’s Online Initiative.
  • The usual business of E-publications will be to undertake:
    • a) Electronic publications, including OCRed and PDF titles (both back and front list) and periodicals, including National Library of Australia News and Gateways; and
    • b) promotional, events, media and/or Library information websites (including the archiving and maintenance of existing sites) and producing exhibition archive sites. In the future exhibition sites will aim to archive all key material from an exhibition, including the catalogue or room brochure, wall and caption text, a digital copy of all exhibition images and a digital copy of posters, invitations and other significant printed material associated with the exhibition.
  • Interpretative collection-based websites, including substantial online exhibition and gallery sites (such as the website for the Treasures Gallery) will only be undertaken in order to meet identified Library needs and with the provision of assiciated funds. Each project of this kind will require an individual project proposal, including a costing, to be formally approved and signed off by the Library’s Publications Committee and/or CMG.

4. Exhibition-related publishing

  • Where appropriate, the publishing program will support and complement Library activities, including exhibitions. This support is in addition to the promotional materials, such as posters, which are provided by the Exhibitions Branch.
  • This support may include the publication of exhibition catalogues for 'blockbuster' exhibitions or room brochures.
  • The Publications Committee will consider proposals for exhibitions-related publishing on a case-by-case basis. In considering new proposals, the Committee will address the following issues:
    • the target audience for the exhibition and the most appropriate means of delivering information to that audience
    • the way in which the proposal supports and promotes the goals and objectives of the Exhibitions and Publications programs, and the wider goals of the Library
    • the relationship between proposed exhibition publications and other elements of the Library’s overall publishing program
    • total available resources, including those being contributed by the Exhibitions Branch and/or exhibition sponsors, the overall level of subsidy being provided by the Library and the potential to earn revenue.
  • Only those publications approved by the Committee will be produced by the Library’s Publications and Events Branch.

5. Merchandise

  • All new merchandise proposals received by the Publications and Events Branch, including those supporting the Library’s exhibitions program, will be brought to the Publications Committee for ‘in principle’ approval.
  • All new merchandise proposals will be assessed according to the following guidelines:
    • extent to which primary material in the National Library’s collections will be used
    • size of the potential market for the proposed merchandise
    • extent to which the proposed publication complements the rest of the Library’s publishing program
    • extent to which the proposal supports other Library activities, including current or potential future acquisitions and other public programs such as exhibitions
    • available resources.