Legal deposit libraries’ contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction. All types of libraries have a key role to play within the sustainability agenda. This paper mapped the main activities of legal deposit libraries in the UK to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reveal how these libraries contribute to the sustainability agenda.

Method. A list of activities of legal deposit libraries was defined from a review of the literature. A mapping exercise was carried out to align these activities with corresponding SDG targets using the global indicator framework.

Analysis. Activities with direct and indirect contributions were identified and simple quantitative analysis reported on the extent to which legal deposit libraries help meet the goals and targets.

Results. The data shows that legal deposit libraries contribute directly to 12 of the goals, through 18 targets. They contribute indirectly to all 17 goals, through 71 targets. Overall LDLs relate to 89 specific targets, supporting progress in 53% of the targets and 100% of the goals.

Conclusion. Legal deposit libraries contribute significantly to the SDGs, mostly through providing access to data, information, and resources, through supporting research, and preserving culture and knowledge.