Self-publishing and legal deposit in Northern Ireland

This report constitutes a research output from the work carried out during a PhD placement at the British Library, London. The British Library PhD Placement Scheme provides an opportunity to PhD researchers to experience research in a non-university environment, to engage with a range of research users and audiences and to make a tangible contribution to the purposes and programmes of a national library and major cultural organisation. The placement focuses on an area of research which is broadly defined by the library and then self-directed by the PhD student.

In this case, the remit was self-publishing and legal deposit, which I transposed to focus on Northern Ireland specifically. The research contained in this report took place from 18th September 2023 – 8th March 2024 and was supervised by Ian Cooke, Head of Contemporary British and Irish Publications. This report summarises the project’s research questions and aims, methodology, findings and recommendations and provides suggested avenues for further research. It is hoped that the insights provided by this research will aid the British Library in ensuring that the Legal Deposit scheme is widely promoted and understood by artists and publishers, and in appraising budgetary needs to allow for a wide range of acquisitions in support of a representative collection. It is hoped that alongside this report, the relationships and contacts formed throughout the research and interview period will continue as a key resource for improving the systematic collection of Northern Irish publications.