Please note that we are unable to accept donations of new archival materials in 2023. This is to allow our team to reduce the backlog that accumulated during the pandemic. Questions concerning donating to Special Collections & Archives can be sent to Meghan Whitfield.

Archival materials can include correspondence, diaries, letters, maps, architectural plans, photographs, negatives, slides, and audiovisual material such as films, videos, and audio reels. For rare books, priority is given to material printed prior to 1800, American imprints prior to 1850, Canadian imprints prior to 1867 and Canadian pamphlets printed before 1945. Material printed after 1801 is also considered.

Recent donations

Collecting focus

We are especially interested in collecting materials that fall within, or complement, the following key collecting areas. Follow any of the links below to be taken to the corresponding thematic area overview in the Archives Database.

To discuss whether we are a suitable repository for your archival materials or rare books, please contact Meghan Whitfield.

Special Collections & Archives is also grateful for financial donations that contribute toward processing gifts as well as the long-term preservation and access of our collections. Please visit the Support the Library page for further information about making cash donations to us.

We are thankful for the generosity of our donors. Each and every donor plays an important role in allowing us to curate collections of long-standing research value that support learning, teaching and research at the University of Waterloo. 

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