We aim to manage library spaces, staff time, and budget effectively to maintain a balance between teaching and research activities and ensure the long-term sustainability of our collections. This means that, unfortunately, we are unable to accept all material offered to us.
This guide explains how we accept donations in line with Library Policy.
Our Approach
Donations to our Main Collection typically include textbooks and monographs. These are assessed according to our current teaching and research areas and our Collection Development Policy
If you have material you wish to donate to the University’s Special Collections & Archives, please send it directly to specialcollections@kent.ac.uk, where it will be assessed according to their selection criteria and responded to separately.
What we can accept
We can accept material in excellent physical condition that supports current teaching and research areas or other collection development priorities.
In general, we cannot accept:
- Donations which have not been agreed in advance.
- Out-of-date textbooks - in most cases only the most recent edition of a work will be accepted
- Print journal volumes or issues
- Unpublished materials e.g. typescripts or offprints of articles
- Items we already hold, either as print or e-book editions (check LibrarySearch to see if we already hold your item)
Checking our LibrarySearch is quick and easy. Watch our video to find out how to do this.
How to offer donations
All proposed donations should be made through our online form.
What happens next?
Once your form has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email, and your offer will be forwarded to the relevant subject expert within our Academic Librarian team.
We will respond to all donation submissions as soon as we can and aim to inform you of a decision within one calendar month of your submission.
Please note that the Library does not assess new donations in January, September and October, when our teams prioritise support for the beginning of the academic year.
We may also need time to allocate space to receive large donations to our buildings.
We recognise that you may need a quick response and that you may decide to make alternative arrangements for your items.
If you decide to withdraw your donation submission, please let us know by responding to your receipt of request confirmation email.
If donated items are accepted by the Library following the submission of the online form, arrangements to provide the items to the Library will be agreed between the Library and the donor.
Once accepted, all items become part of the University of Kent collections and are subject to the Library collection policies and procedures. As such, they may be withdrawn during future collection reviews.
Please note:
- Donor bookplates are not generally added to donated items.
- We cannot collect items, cover the expense of items being sent to the Library or accept responsibility for items in transit.
- We will not always be able to process accepted donations immediately, and there may be a delay between the acceptance of a donation and the items being added to our collections.
- Any items not added to Library collections or subsequently withdrawn from collections will be disposed of through sustainable routes.
We can recommend the following organisations as alternative recipients for donated material:
- Books2Africa: This Canterbury-based charity accepts books to send to schools and colleges across Africa. Your donations can make a direct impact on the education of young people in these regions. Visit their website for details.
- Anybook: A UK-based online marketplace for second-hand books. They accept books in a range of conditions and work to find new homes for them. Find out more on their website.
- Oxfam Bookshops: Oxfam’s bookshops offer a place for your donations to support both local communities and global causes. The proceeds from the sales help fund Oxfam’s vital work around the world. Find your nearest shop to donate.
Students' unwanted books
If you have unwanted books and textbooks you could consider the following ways of recycling;
- Library Bookswap events. We regularly run bookswap events for staff and students at Kent and accept good condition, used fiction and non-fiction books (excludes textbooks). You can deposit these in our bookswap bins located in the Library Welcome Hall or bring along to one of our events to swap for another books!
- Oxfam Bookshops. You can drop books at the Canterbury store or any other Oxfam in the country to contribute to their global fundraising.