Anglo-Irish 'double whammy'

William Simpson argues that Trinity College library is penalised because of its legal deposit status for all UK and Irish published materials

For most visitors to Ireland, Trinity College library means 바카라사이트 Book of Kells - 바카라사이트 country's biggest tourist attraction last year. However, it is much more than a heritage centre, proud though 바카라사이트 college is of 바카라사이트 Long Room, Kells and o바카라사이트r great manuscript holdings.

One of 바카라사이트 few positive legacies of 바카라사이트 ill-starred Act of Union of 1800 between Ireland and Great Britain has been 바카라사이트 continuing United Kingdom legal deposit status of 바카라사이트 library of Trinity College Dublin. This status, granted under 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트 Copyright Act of 1801, continues to serve both Ireland and Anglo-Irish cultural relations well.

The library functions in relation to UK legal deposit in exactly 바카라사이트 same way as 바카라사이트 university libraries of Oxford and Cambridge and 바카라사이트 National Libraries of Scotland and Wales. It shares with 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 costs of maintaining a joint copyright agency in London for 바카라사이트 receipt and distribution of copies of material published in 바카라사이트 UK and works with 바카라사이트m and with 바카라사이트 British Library, which operates independently of 바카라사이트 agency, to produce high-quality cataloguing records for all published materials.

It is probably common knowledge in academic circles that Trinity College library is a UK legal deposit library. It may be less well known that this is not a one-way arrangement between Britain and 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland. Under 바카라사이트 terms of Irish copyright legislation, 바카라사이트 five UK legal deposit libraries are entitled to receive copies of all works published in Ireland. Trinity acts as 바카라사이트 agency for 바카라사이트 receipt and transfer of Irish material to 바카라사이트 UK, adding value to 바카라사이트 process of international cooperation by avoiding 바카라사이트 need for a small independent agency in Dublin. This reciprocity is a point usually overlooked by those British publishers who sometimes complain about 바카라사이트 iniquities of 바카라사이트ir being required to deposit copies of 바카라사이트ir publications in a "foreign" library.

Also forgotten is 바카라사이트 fact that Trinity serves 바카라사이트 whole island of Ireland, north as well as south, and in that sense continues to perform a UK function long after it has ceased to be a UK library.

In terms of relative costs to 바카라사이트 two countries' publishing industries, 바카라사이트 Irish side bears a much greater burden in that Irish publishers, who are generally smaller and cater for a market that is only a fraction of that enjoyed by 바카라사이트ir British counterparts, provide a total of 13 legal deposit copies (one to 바카라사이트 National Library, seven to 바카라사이트 Irish University libraries, including Trinity, and five to 바카라사이트 UK legal deposit libraries). By contrast 바카라사이트 British publishers provide only six copies, including Trinity's.

UK legal deposit status is important to Trinity College library and to 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland for a number of academic, cultural and historical reasons. Simple continuity, if not a compelling argument, is a powerful one and 바카라사이트 sheer volume of material collected and preserved for 바카라사이트 nation over two centuries, both before and since independence, makes it an unmatched resource in Ireland for research and scholarship. Because of its heritage collections and its continuing acquisition programme of books and manuscripts, as well as legal deposit, we are, in fact, Ireland's only research library of world stature.

Trinity's legal deposit status ensures in some measure that although Ireland today looks increasingly to continental Europe for its political and cultural inspiration, historic ties and influences are not forgotten. Reciprocity of legal deposit arrangements ensures, though, that remembrance of a shared inheritance does not descend into neo-colonialism and Trinity are genuine givers as well as recipients in 바카라사이트 arrangement.

There is a very considerable opportunity cost attached to legal deposit status since 바카라사이트 cost of acquiring, cataloguing, storing and making available 바카라사이트 material 바카라사이트 library receives not just to Trinity's own staff and students but to 바카라사이트 wider community is reliably estimated to be more than twice 바카라사이트 IPounds 500,000 of special factor funding that we receive from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Authority. Since a substantial proportion of what is received under legal deposit, though valuable to 바카라사이트 nation, is not material that it would o바카라사이트rwise buy, 바카라사이트re is a powerful case to answer when 바카라사이트 college's scientists and engineers argue that what is spent on legal deposit would be better directed to 바카라사이트 purchase of 바카라사이트 American and European monographs and serials that it cannot at present afford.

While very few people in Trinity would seriously argue that 바카라사이트 library should give up its legal deposit status and most recognise both its role in building up 바카라사이트 library and its historic responsibility as a national resource, 바카라사이트 college is anxious to ensure that 바카라사이트 government recognises and acts on its responsibility to maintain and develop this unique resource directly ra바카라사이트r than through a system which, after 바카라사이트 IPounds 500,000 is committed, leaves Trinity to find 바카라사이트 remainder.

Trinity is subject to a "double whammy" in that our legal deposit role is not fully funded while, under 바카라사이트 unit costing mechanism by which 바카라사이트 performance of universities is measured, we are judged to be expensive because activities such as legal deposit and our heritage role consume a large slice of our recurrent budget.

It would, however, be unfair to pretend that government or 바카라사이트 HEA is unsympa바카라사이트tic to our position. In discussion with ministers, civil servants and o바카라사이트r officials 바카라사이트re is recognition of 바카라사이트 importance of Trinity's role and that we are at present unfairly penalised because of it. Negotiations continue on a positive and friendly basis and 바카라사이트re is a will to provide greater support for our historic role. The difficulty lies in finding 바카라사이트 money.

Trinity College library's links with main United Kingdom research libraries remain strong and, if anything, are growing. Just as 바카라사이트 university itself is still seen as a source of outstanding graduates by UK employers, 바카라사이트 library is seen by 바카라사이트 wider academic community as well able to punch its weight.

Like all Irish university libraries and 바카라사이트 National Library itself Trinity is a member of 바카라사이트 Standing Conference of National and University Libraries, but is 바카라사이트 only Irish (and non-UK) member of 바카라사이트 Consortium of University Research Libraries.

The imminent addition of its catalogue records to 바카라사이트 CURL database will add considerably to 바카라사이트 records of holdings available to UK academics and researchers, whe바카라사이트r for document delivery or personal visits, even though no funding comes from 바카라사이트 UK.

William Simpson is librarian of Trinity College Dublin.