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Donations and gifts of materials


Physical space within the Library is extremely limited. We therefore have to be very selective in terms of what materials we are able to accept as donations or gifts.

The Modern Records Centre (MRC) will continue to accept donations and gifts to enhance the archive collections providing they fall within the collecting policy and MRC’s required conditions are met. Please contact archives at warwick dot ac dot uk.

The Library will only consider materials of particular or distinctive focus applying the same criteria as for purchased material. As a guide, donations will only be progressed if the materials are:

  • extra copies of current textbooks which are in heavy demand
  • publications which are recently published and/or are considered as important for current or future/known area of teaching or research
  • are examples of fine printing from private presses or items published before 1850
  • rare and will enhance the established special collections

Donations will not be progressed if the materials are:

  • old superseded editions of textbooks
  • duplicates of existing holdings which are not in heavy demand
  • journals/periodicals
  • in poor condition

If you wish to offer book or other materials to this Library as a donation or gift, please contact library at warwick dot ac dot uk first, including a list of the items you wish to donate so that we can assess their suitability.

Please note:

  • We will no longer consider unsolicited gifts of general library materials. Potential donations should not brought to the Library without prior agreement
  • All donations must be approved by the Library before the items can be accepted
  • Where donations are accepted, these are accepted without obligation and will be subject to the same stock management criteria as other Library materials. If a donation is accepted in totality but it contains items not suitable for stock, the Library reserves the right to dispose of unwanted donations without reference to the donor
  • Bequests will be treated as donations unless prior arrangements have been made
  • The Library reserves the right to retain any money arising from the disposal of items not suitable for the collection. Any such income will be reinvested in Library services and resources

If your donation is in good condition but not suitable for us, you may wish to consider:

  • (For Warwick Students) Sell your books via the SU @ https://www dot warwicksu dot com/books/
  • Try local/national companies that are calling for unwanted items to sell to support their mission, e.g. anybook.biz, Better World Books, etc. This is how we handle unwanted materials
  • Local second hand booksellers may be interested in specific materials
  • Charity shops in your local area
  • Selling the items online e.g. via Amazon or ebay