About Our Collections

Queen’s University Library and Archives are part of a vast information ecosystem in which collections of scholarly resources and archival material are central to the teaching and research activities and mission of the university. As one of the oldest universities in the country and a prominent institution in its local region, Queen’s has considerable collection strengths and access to the global knowledge commons.

The library is committed to providing barrier-free access to authoritative information, building and curating inclusive, responsive, and enduring collections that represent the diversity of human experience. 

Inclusive collections

The library has been striving to meet the needs of faculty, students and staff for over 175 years, and the collections built over time reflect the tradition of a long-established Canadian university, including the history of colonization.  Our current collection development and management activities reflect today’s changing academic environment and are responsive to current and anticipated priorities at Queen’s, including supporting Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility (I-EDIAA) and curriculum-based initiatives of the faculties, departments, and schools of the university.

Inclusive collections include Western and non-Western perspectives and Indigenous ways of knowing and reflect the diversity of the population of Canada. Representation matters and the library aspires to be an inclusive community where all members can see themselves reflected in our collection.

Principles

Guided by our Information Resources Vision, the library supports the provision of equitable access to scholarly information by:

  • Providing access to items in the library’s collection in accessible alternative formats, proactively as much as possible and upon request
  • Actively supporting independent academic publishers and making efforts to ensure that collections are built with acquisitions from university presses and other not-for-profit small presses such as association and society publishers, in addition to academic trade and select commercial publishers
  • Modifying how we acquire and fund information resources for the collection, so that we ensure we are investing in sustainable scholarly communications
  • Supporting and actively investigating emerging Open Access publishing ventures and initiatives to increase awareness and use of Open Access books and journals, including library services to develop or adapt open and affordable course materials
  • Recognizing the many and diverse forms scholarship may take
  • Off-setting potential financial barriers by discontinuing overdue fines for regular circulating materials

Collection development

Gifts and donations

If you'd like to support the acquisition of scholarly materials, please see our Giving page.

Ask Us

Ask Us

For help locating resources, using the library, or to request a research consultation, try our Ask Us service.

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