In 2019, the new Law on Libraries and Library Activity was adopted as the main legal source for librarianship. Library activities defined in this Law include acquisition, collection, classification, maintenance, setting professional technical methods, access to books and other library materials, the conduct of bibliographic information and documentation services. Libraries may be autonomous or components of other legal entities; they can be public or privately owned and are normally organised as institutions. Before being permitted to operate as a library, an institution must meet certain professional standards, including employing the required number of specialised trained staff, etc.
The Law on Media (2004, amended in 2011 and 2013) regulates the print media.
The Agreement on Fixed Book Prices was signed in 2007 between the representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce – Community of Publishers and Bookstores. The Law on Libraries includes legal deposit provisions (compulsory library copies) laying down regular, free and prompt delivery of nine copies of all print and non-print publications, i.e. book and non-book material, as well as audiovisual and electronic material. Publishers and manufacturers of audiovisual and electronic publications are entities that are bound by legal deposit legislation, i.e. legal entities and natural persons publishing or manufacturing materials for the public, whether these materials are intended for sale or free distribution. At the expense of the depositor, legal deposit copies have to be submitted to the National and University Library in Zagreb, which is responsible for the collecting and distributing of legal deposit copies. Information on online publications has to be submitted using the Online Publication Registration Form, available at the website of the Library.
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