Donating Books: General Information

Thank you for thinking of the Ambrose Library collection!

As a rule, we accept donated books to our collection based on the same criteria as purchased material, according to the library's Collection Development Policy. The biggest determinant on whether we bring any book into our collection (new or preowned) is whether the information will support the current curriculum and research needs of the Ambrose community.

After a book has been determined to meet this informational need, we take other factors into account, such as:

• Does the book already exist in the collection? We don't typically acquire more than 1 copy of a book.
• Does the book have a newer edition? We typically acquire the newest editions of books and discard older editions to ensure information is accurate and current. 
• Is the book in good condition? For preowned books, we look for like new or very good condition with no markings inside. 

To determine if your books meet these criteria, please send a list of the books' ISBNs (or alternatively: titles, authors, and publication date) to library@ambrose.edu. We will compare this list against the books in our collection and get back to you regarding the titles we are able to accept. Due to space constraints in the library we're unable to receive the physical books before completing this process. Also, our ability to get back to you in a timely manner with a final decision depends on the current capacity of library staff. We thank you for your understanding!

We understand if you're eager to find a new home for your books and can't wait too long! We've successfully referred others to Christian Salvage Mission who have a Calgary office; if you call them, they can arrange to come to you and retrieve Christian materials for redistributing world-wide.