The evolutionary struggle between the printed page, CD-ROM, online services and the Internet as media for publishing has huge implications for the national archive. Authors, publishers and the libraries that have current responsibility for the UK national legal deposit collection all have a consuming interest in the outcome of the government's Consultation Paper on legal deposit. Publishers want the least onerous extension of the law to new and particularly to electronic formats, which some see as an opportunity to reduce the statutory six copies for deposit. The copyright libraries see their status possibly being affected, whilst universities see a new and important role for themselves in electronic archiving. The government has stipulated a solution at minimum cost to the industries involved, and if the publishing industry successfully lobbies for a reduction in the number of deposit copies, the national libraries will probably have the strongest case for retaining their privileges. Similar tensions arise over access to information content and its use in electronic form, especially transmission and reproduction, tensions that are already present in the British Library's service provision and its alleged impact on publishers' sales. The concept of ‘fair dealing’ will clearly have to be redefined. These and other important issues are now being aired, perhaps with more goodwill and trust than 20 years ago, between the British Library, some leading publishers, and the Publishers Association. Extension of the national archive to electronic and multimedia works will be a huge project requiring significant new funding. Indications for the future are greater selectivity, a reduction in the number of copies required, and a more streamlined administrative process. A comprehensive archive is unlikely to be achieved other than by statutory means.
