Rare book sale

Special Collections & Archives has identified a number of duplicate titles in the collection that will be made available for sale to the public and university community.

Rare book sale: September 1, 2017

All members of the public and university are welcome. You may review the list of titles for sale (Excel) ahead of time.

• 9am to 1pm: items will be available in the Dana Porter Library, Room 328 to view and place silent bids
• 1pm to 3pm: the auction will be closed and staff will review all bids
• 3pm: all bidders return to see if their bid is successful
• 3pm to 4:30pm: items can be paid for with debit/credit cards (preferred) or cash during this time
• Any remaining items will be listed on eBay

Please send any questions to Nick Richbell, Head, Special Collections & Archives, 519-888-4567 (ext. 32445).

About our rare books

University of Waterloo’s Special Collections & Archives acquires and makes available rare and primary materials that support the teaching and research goals of University of Waterloo.  The collections are considered working collections that have been developed systematically around locally-important subjects; they include over 4,000 linear feet of literary and historical archival records, and over 70,000 rare books and periodicals.

Why are we selling rare books?

We collect material and preserve it for use by future generations. As such, we normally do not remove items from our collections. After an in-depth review of our rare book collection, we have identified some duplicate items that have been collected over time.

The proceeds raised from the sale of these items will be used by Special Collections & Archives to purchase unique and distinct rare book and archival material.  New purchases will further enhance our existing collections, and benefit our university community and beyond. 

Special Collections & Archives relies heavily on, and are thankful for, the generosity of our donors. We work diligently with our donors to ensure that we are not receiving any duplicate items into our collection.