Donations & Gifts 

Queen’s University Library’s rich and deep collections are central to the academic enterprise. Students and faculty place a high value on the resources we provide to support their learning, teaching and research. From a collection of six volumes donated in 1840 and now housed in Special Collections, our physical holdings have grown to include over 2.36 million items. 

Before proceeding, please note that the information on this webpage is related to our general collections, and not to our Special Collections and Archives, which may use different criteria in assessing potential gifts-in-kind. Please see Special Collections and Archives for more information on donating to our University Archives or W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections Library.

Interior view of the Myster of the Law Reading Nook at the Law library
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General Collections

Queen's University Library has suspended the acceptance of donated books or other materials to our general collection. Though we value and appreciate the support our community has shown through its contributions to our collections, past experience shows us that the vast majority of materials offered are already held at one of our libraries. The costs inherent in reviewing, processing, and making donated material available have become prohibitive. It is also the case that Queen's University Library has ready and efficient access to more print materials now than ever before. In partnership with 18 academic libraries across Ontario, Queen's users have access to a shared collection of 25,000,000+ scholarly resources and may request them for delivery to their home university. 

If you have any questions, please contact the relevant subject librarian.

Patrons may wish to consult the following links for options on donating used book collections that do not meet our acceptance guidelines:

  • The Kingston Symphony
  • Kingston Frontenac Public Library
  • Campus Bookstore for student-student book exchange
  • Textbooks for Change. On campus locations can be found here: Queen’s Recycling Programs.

W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections and Queen's University Archives continue to accept donations that align with their respective collection priorities.

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