Deposit

What is Legal Deposit?

Legal Deposit is one of the statutory functions of the National Library whereby all works published in Singapore can be collected and preserved to become a part of Singapore's heritage.

The National Library is supported in this role through the provisions of the National Library Board Act (Chapter 197, No. 5 of 1995, Part II Section 10) whereby two copies of every publication published in Singapore, have to be deposited with the National Library within four weeks from the date of publication.

What is collected under Legal Deposit?

All print and non-print materials that are published or produced in Singapore and made available for sale or public distribution should be deposited. These include:

Annual reports and Yearbooks
Books
Bulletins and Newsletters
Commemorative publications
Conference proceedings
Magazines
Maps, charts, plans and tables
Music scores
Videocassettes
Sound cassettes
Newspapers
Posters
Reports

Digital materials covered by Legal Deposit include publications published in the form of offline/handheld media. Examples include:

Feature and short films (e.g. on VCDs or DVDs)
Multi-media CD-ROMS
Resources on CD/ DVD
Music sound recordings
Talking books

What materials need not be deposited?

All print and non-print materials that are of a private or confidential nature should not be deposited. Examples include:

In-house material such as training manuals, course notes and minutes of Meetings
Legal documents
Proprietary trade catalogues
Trade circulars
Timetables
Personal diaries
Confidential company reports

What if I publish materials online?

We encourage voluntary deposit of the Internet-equivalent of any document covered by Legal Deposit for printed materials, (e.g. electronic journals, electronic books, e-posters, etc) and also Singapore websites so that we can collect and preserve them for posterity. For more details, please see here.

Which organisations/parties are required to deposit?

All commercial and non-commercial publishers are required to deposit their published materials.

Examples include:

Book publishers
Audio-visual producers
Business organisations
Schools
Government agencies
Social clubs and organisations
Private individuals

How do I deposit my publications?

For print and offline materials:

Complete the Deposit Publications Form and deposit two copies of the published work to the Legal Deposit Office.

Small, ad-hoc and self-publishers can deposit their publications in person or through the post at the Legal Deposit Office, or at the National, Regional or Public Libraries (excludes Community Children's Libraries). Larger publishers who have a bigger quantity of publications are encouraged to send their publications to the Legal Deposit Office at 3 Changi South Street 2.

Legal Deposit Office
National Library Board
Library Supply Centre
3, Changi South Street 2
Xilin Districentre Building B, #02-00
Singapore 486548
Operating hours: Mon – Fri, 8.00 am – 5 pm, except public holidays

(please access via Cargo Lift 5 to LSC Checkpoint for deliveries by hand)

National Library
100 Victoria Street
Singapore 188064
Level 1 Information Counter

Regional and Public Libraries

For digital materials

Complete the Deposit Publications Form and deposit online.
For digital materials published in the form of handheld media, 2 copies of the physical object must still be deposited.

What time can I deposit the materials at the stipulated libraries?

Opening Hours of National Library, Regional Libraries and Standalone Public Libraries:
Mon - Sun : 10.00am - 9.00pm

Opening Hours of shopping mall libraries:
Mon - Sun : 11.00am - 9.00pm

Closed at 5.00pm on eve of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year
Closed on Public Holidays

When must I deposit the published materials?

The National Library Board Act (Chapter 197, No. 5 of 1995, Part II Section 10) requires every publisher to deposit two copies of every publication published in Singapore with the National Library Board, at their own expense, within four weeks from the date of publication.

Would I be penalised if I were to deposit after the stipulated requirement of four weeks after the date of publication?

Any publisher who deposits after the stipulated requirement of four weeks is liable to be penalised.

Must I deposit my publication, which was published earlier that had no ISBN as I was not aware of the application for one?

Yes.

Can I use one form to deposit a print and a non-print item?

It is preferred that you use two different forms so that we can trace the movement of the items deposited.

Do I get an acknowledgement receipt of materials that I deposited with NLB?

Yes, NLB will acknowledge receipt of materials deposited.

What does NLB do with the publications that I have deposited?

Of the 2 copies that you have deposited with NLB, one copy will be placed at the National Library for research purposes, while another copy will be kept offsite for preservation as part of our statutory requirements. NLB will purchase multiple copies of the same title (if it meets our collection development policies) for the other NLB libraries.

For digital publications deposited online, they will be preserved digitally.

When would the publication be available for research purpose?

On average, 80% of the titles deposited can be made available for research purpose within 4 weeks of deposit. Please refer to the library catalogue for updates.

What are the benefits to publishers?

The National Library has an obligation to preserve all materials deposited. Through Legal Deposit:

Materials will be preserved for long-term access and use by future generations
A trusted repository for printed and electronic materials will be created
Records of publications will be included in the Singapore National Bibliography
Published works will enjoy wider exposure locally and internationally

Is Legal Deposit the same as copyright?

Legal deposit should not be confused with copyright. Copyright protects literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and is granted automatically to an author as long as their work is original and expressed in a tangible form such as in a recording or in writing.

Information about copyright is available from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) at http://www.ipos.gov.sg/.

What is an ISBN?

The ISBN is a 10 or 13-digit number that uniquely identifies books and book-related products published internationally. It allows publishers, book suppliers and libraries worldwide to easily locate and order items. With effect from 1 January 2007, the ISBN has been changed to 13 digits.

What publications require an ISBN?

Publishers should obtain ISBNs for the following type of publications:

Printed books and pamphlets
Microform publications like microfilms
Braille publications
Mixed media publications
Other similar media, including educational films/videos and transparencies
Books on cassettes (audio-books or talking books)
Microcomputer software
Electronic publications either on physical carriers (such as machine-readable tapes, diskettes, or CD-ROMs) or on the Internet
Maps if they are to be marketed

Publishers should apply for a new ISBN if the above is:

A first time publication. Subsequent reprints of the same publication can use the same ISBN as the original publication.
A new edition of a publication.
An existing publication published in a new format, for e.g., a book title re-issued in a CD-ROM format.

The following types of publications do not need ISBNs:

Ephemeral printed materials such as diaries, calendars, advertising matter and the like
Art prints and art folders without title page and text
Sound recordings (excluding audio-books or talking books)
Serial publications, i.e., publications that are published at regular intervals (magazines, newspapers and annual reports). These publications are to be assigned an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).

Who is eligible for an ISBN?

The National Library Board is the ISBN Agency in Singapore and will issue ISBNs, upon request, if you are publishing a book, book-related product or a pamphlet of 8 pages or more in Singapore.

How do I apply for an ISBN?

You can apply for an ISBN online at http://deposit.nl.sg/.

Applicants will be notified of the assigned ISBN within two working days from the receipt of the submitted application form.

Where should the ISBN be printed?

The ISBN must appear whenever possible:

On the reverse of the title page, or, if this is not possible, on the base of the title page, or if even this is not possible, at some other conspicuous location in the book
On the base of the spine
On the back of the cover in nine-point type or larger
On the back of the dust-jacket, and on the back of any other protective case or wrapper

Is there a fee?

The supply of an ISBN to Singapore publishers is currently a free service provided by NLB.

Where can I find more information about ISBN?

You can find out more information from the International ISBN Agency (http://www.isbn-international.org/)

What is an ISSN?

An ISSN is an internationally accepted code that provides a unique numerical identification for a serial publication. It takes the form of the acronym "ISSN" followed by two groups of four digits, separated by a hyphen, for example, ISSN 0217-4634 or ISSN 0218-401X.

The first seven digits are unique to the title, while the last digit provides an automatic check on the accuracy of an ISSN. The last digit may be an X (for 10); otherwise the ISSN is fully numeric.

What is a serial?

A serial is a publication issued in successive parts to be published under a common title for an indefinite period. Some examples of serial publications are:

Newspapers
Annuals (reports, yearbooks)
Directories
Journals
Proceedings

The ISSN remains the same for every issue provided that the title does not change.

How do I apply for an ISSN?

You can apply for an ISSN online at http://deposit.nl.sg/.

Applicants will be notified of the assigned ISSN within two working days from the receipt of the submitted application form.

Where should the ISSN be printed?

The ISSN should be printed in a prominent position on each issue of the serial, on the front cover, title page or Cataloguing in Publication data. The preferred position on the front cover is the top right-hand corner.

Where can I find more information about ISSN?

You can find out more information from the ISSN International Centre (http://www.issn.org/)

What is an ISMN?

The International Standard Music Number (ISMN) is similar to the familiar International Standard Book Number (ISBN). While the ISBN is assigned to uniquely identify printed and electronic texts, an ISMN is used to identify publications of printed sheet music (including digital sheet music), i.e. notated music such as scores, anthologies of music, music parts and texts or lyrics with printed music, often produced for educational or professional purposes, whether available for sale, hire, gratis or for copyright purposes only.

The 13-digit ISMN consists of the prefix 979-0- followed by 9 digits and is always preceded by the letters ISMN.

It is divided into 4 elements with each element separated by a hyphen or space:

1. The Prefix

2. Publisher Identifier

3. Item Identifier

4. Check Digit that validates the number

for example: ISMN 979-0-2600-0043-8

What publications require an ISMN?

Publishers, including author publishers, should obtain an ISMN for the following types of printed music:

scores
miniature (study) scores
vocal scores
sets of parts
individual parts, available separately
pop folios
anthologies
other media that are an integral component of a publication of notated music (e.g. a tape recording that is one of the 'parts' of a composition)
song texts or lyrics published with the notated music (if available separately)
commentaries published with the notated music (also available separately)
song books (optional)
microform music publications
braille music publications
electronic publications of musical notations

Note:
For a publication consisting of scores and parts, the full score, the set of parts as a whole, and each individual part (if available separately) must be assigned its own ISMN.

Publications which do not need ISMNs:

books on music except when they contain examples of notated music
stand-alone sound or video recordings (including recordings available on computer media)
periodicals and series as a whole, as distinct from individual volumes in series

How do I apply for ISMN?

You can apply for an ISMN online at http://deposit.nl.sg/.

Instructions on the required submission of a Record Sheet as well as 2 copies for legal deposit are given at the site.

Note:
As a publication consisting of scores and parts requires a separate ISMN for the full score, the set of parts as a whole, and each individual part (if available separately), you need to apply for the relevant amount of numbers required.

Applicants will be notified of the assigned ISMN(s) within 2 working days from the receipt of the submitted application form.

Where should the ISMN be printed?

The ISMN must appear prominently on the item itself printed in easily legible type (9 point or larger). Preferably on the back of a score or part, and if possible, with the copyright notice. Alternatively, at the bottom of the first page of music.

When the item is a single sheet, the ISMN should appear in only one place on the item.

Is there a fee?

The supply of ISMNs to Singapore publishers is currently a free service provided by the ISMN National Agency Singapore under NLB.

Where can I find more information about ISMN?

You can find out more information from the International ISMN Agency (http://ismn-international.org/)

ISMN Users' Manual: http://ismn-international.org/manual_intro.html
FAQ: http://ismn-international.org/faq.html

For enquiries on ISMN in Singapore:
Tel: 6546-7271
Fax: 6546-7262
E-mail: legaldep@nlb.gov.sg
(Monday to Friday during Office Hours)

What is Cataloguing In Publication (CIP)?

Cataloguing In Publication enables books to be catalogued before they are published, and the prompt distribution of this cataloguing information to publishers, booksellers and libraries throughout the world.

A CIP record is created from information supplied by publishers and includes the author, title, publisher, date of publication, price (if available) and the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). The Library of Congress Subject Headings and Dewey Decimal Classification numbers are also provided to facilitate access.

The record will be arranged according to internationally established standards, which make it possible to distribute information about publications.

How does a Singapore publisher obtain a CIP record?

Publishers are required to complete a CIP application form as early as possible or preferably one month before the expected date of publication once they have received an NLB-assigned ISBN.

The CIP form is available online at http://deposit.nl.sg and can also be requested via email at NLB_CIP@nlb.gov.sg

It is important that publishers submit an accurate representation of the title page on the CIP application form. Incomplete or inaccurate information may cause delays and the application may be returned to the publisher.

As catalogue records are created on the basis of the information provided on the work's title page and the subject matter covered by the work, please send a copy of the following:

Title page
Table of contents
Introduction and preface (if available)
Any publicity material prepared for the publication

Completed forms can be submitted online at http://deposit.nl.sg or via email NLB_CIP@nlb.gov.sg or fax 6546 6212.

What is an ISBN?

All CIP applications must include an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). An ISBN is a unique code that identifies book and book-related products published internationally. It allows publishers, book suppliers and libraries worldwide to easily locate and order items.

NLB is the ISBN Agency in Singapore and will issue ISBNs upon request.

More information on ISBN and application forms are available online at http://deposit.nl.sg

How much does it cost the publisher to apply for the CIP?

A CIP record is currently provided free of charge.

How long does it take to obtain a CIP entry for a book?

The CIP application will be processed within 5 working days.

How will I receive the CIP record?

The CIP record will be returned to the publisher by e-mail, fax or mail.

How does a CIP entry appear in a book?

A CIP record as printed in the book, looks like this:

National Library Board Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data

Tai, Jacky,1970-
Transform your business into a brand : 10 rules of branding / Jacky Tai, Wilson Chew. - Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Business, c2007.
p.cm
ISBN-13 : 978-981-261-386-8
ISBN-10 : 981-261-386-2

1. Brand name products. 2. Branding (Marketing) I. Chew, Wilson, 1970- II. Title.

HD69.B7
658.827 -- dc22 SLS2006052562

Who can I contact about CIP?

You may send your enquiries to NLB_CIP@nlb.gov.sg.

Can the publisher create its own CIP?

No. A CIP record is created in compliance with several internationally established bibliographic standards.

Where is the CIP record printed in the book?

The CIP record is printed in the verso (flip side) of the title page, also known as the copyright page. Publishers should print the CIP data in the format in which it was returned to them, using the same capitalization, punctuation and layout.

Is the CIP programme offered only to publishers of English books?

No. The CIP programme is available for Singapore publishers of books published in Singapore in the 4 official languages (i.e. English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil).

What are the benefits of applying for the CIP and is it compulsory?

CIP helps promote books even before they are published. CIP records appear in the Singapore National Bibliography and provide publicity for forthcoming books both locally and internationally.

A copy of the CIP is available and can be searched and retrieved from the SILAS (Singapore Integrated Library automation Service) database which is used extensively by libraries in Singapore.

The CIP record is also printed within the publication themselves and can be used by libraries for cataloguing new acquisitions.

CIP is not compulsory. It is a voluntary programme of cooperation between publishers in Singapore and the National Library Board, Singapore (NLB).

What do I do if there are any changes after a CIP record is created?

Publishers are required to immediately notify us via email at NLB_CIP@nlb.gov.sg if they make any changes before publishing the book that involve the original information they had submitted. This is to ensure that the CIP made available to book buyers and libraries are correct and up to date.

I am publishing a revised edition. Can I use the same CIP data?

No, you need to apply for a new CIP. This is because a revised edition is significantly different from the first publication.

Is CIP available for the publishing of other types of materials such as magazines, journals, annuals etc. and non-print materials?

No. The CIP programme is limited to books that are published principally in English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil. For more information about the scope of the CIP programme, please refer to the CIP User Guide

Why is only one author's name shown at the top of the CIP entry when the book has two or more authors?

In cases where a book has two or three authors, cataloguing rules state that the first author mentioned on the title page must be used as the "main entry" in the cataloguing record, while the others are recorded as "added entries". When a CIP record is printed, the main entry displays at the top of the catalogue record and the added entries appear after the description of the book. However, this format of main and added entries is a convention for display purposes only. Both main entry and added entries can be searched in catalogues and databases.

The title on the book begins each word with a capital letter. Why does the CIP entry begin each title word, except the first word, with a lower case letter?

This practice is in accordance with cataloguing rules. Publishers should print the CIP cataloguing record in the form in which it was returned to them, using the same capitalization, punctuation and layout.

Contact Details

For more information or clarification, please see here.

FAQ