Gifts to the Library

The Library at Trent University has been greatly enriched by donations from many individuals, organizations and institutions. We appreciate these gifts, although we can't always accept them. Outlined below is information for potential donors.

What We Keep

We collect material which is related to the teaching and research done at the University. We look for items which students will find useful for their course research. We are also interested in rare or valuable items which relate to teaching areas at Trent.

At the present time, Bata Library's stacks are overflowing, and we are actively removing items which are underused. This means we're particularly careful in our selection of new items. We are not large enough to serve as storage for items which are not used. Since space is a precious resource, we normally do not retain duplicate copies of items. Textbooks are not normally kept, since they become outdated quickly.

We cannot accept donations of items which will not be placed in the collection, as it's costly for us to dispose of them.

What You Can Do

Before you offer material to us, we ask that you check our library catalogue to see if we already have a copy of the item. Connect to TOPCAT (the library catalogue) here.

Create a list of items you wish to donate, providing as full a citation as you can. Try to include the title, author, date, edition, and publisher whenever possible. If there are items which you believe might be rare or especially valuable, please make note of it. Since we do not have staff who can visit your location or browse through boxes of books with you, a list is essential.

We can't accept gifts without prior approval and a detailed list allows us to evaluate the items.

Contact Information

If you have items you wish to donate to the Trent University Library, please contact libraryhelp@trentu.ca. For gifts to the Oshawa Campus Library, contact Ken Field, Oshawa Campus Librarian.

We'll respond within a few working days, asking you to provide us with a list if the items seem to correspond to the Library's needs. We may also have suggestions for other avenues available to you.

Please do not leave items at the library without prior approval. It's costly for us to dispose of items we cannot accept.

Gifts Policy

The Library Services Committee, a subcommittee of the University Senate, has approved the following Library Gifts Policy. This Policy outlines in more detail information related to Library donations.

Other Options

Trent University Archives:
The Trent University Archives also accepts donations of material. Contact the Archives for further information or see their webpage on donating.

Trent University:
Please visit these webpages:

The Peterborough Public Library also accepts book donations to be used in their book sales. See their FAQ.

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Last Modified: August 11, 2011
Maintained by , Thomas J. Bata Library.