ABSTRACT
According to the provisions of the Croatian Library Law, publishers are obliged to submit digital publications to deposit institutions as part of the national legal deposit system. Non-print legal deposit covers electronic publications (offline), online publications, and web content, omitting the deposit of digital print masters. Thus, data on the repositories of digital print masters, as well as information on their infrastructure, quality and quantity of metadata, format, and preservation method, are currently not available. The chapter shows results from the research of the print masters’ repositories and the related preservation policies, as well as legal regulations of all the EU countries (in the EU geographical area). Gaining this insight forms the basis for a partnership necessary for the management of this type of digital content and the development and implementation of the national policy and standards aimed at its archiving and preservation. The research investigates various possibilities for making the deposit of digital print masters as part of the standard legal deposit system or a system whereby national publishers would deliver their digital print masters on an entirely voluntary basis. It also addresses the issue of ensuring permanent access to all forms of the national digital publishing output.
