Collection acquisitions
How you can help us build the Library’s collections
The Library welcomes offers of published and original material. Your offers help us to build diverse, surprising and comprehensive collections and to document life in New South Wales for current and future generations.
The Library is interested in receiving offers for a wide range of material, such as:
- manuscripts
- books
- newspapers and magazines
- photographs
- organisational records
- pictures (such as paintings, watercolours, prints, drawings, framed works)
- maps and plans
- ephemera (such as posters, postcards, pamphlets)
- digital publications (such as websites, blogs).
Material the Library accepts
As the Library does not usually acquire material for the collection if we already have it, please check the Library catalogue prior to making an offer of published material.
For published and original materials, the Library generally acquires material that is:
- published or created in New South Wales
- about New South Wales
- created by a New South Wales resident/organisation or person with a connection to New South Wales
- associated with an individual who is significant in New South Wales history
- about Antarctica
- about the 18th and 19th century south-west Pacific region
Material the Library doesn't accept
The Library doesn't usually accept:
- materials that are in poor condition
- textbooks and technical material not originating in New South Wales
- theses and dissertations
- self-published material not originating in New South Wales
- objects (such as flags, clothing, cloth, jewellery, instruments)
- photocopies of original material
- photocopies of publications
- government records
- materials that are still required for ongoing use (e.g. current business records)
- materials that are more suitable for another collecting institution.
Learn more about material the Library collects.
How to make an offer
You can offer material as a donation or for purchase.
Please check the Library catalogue to see if material is already held in the Library’s collection.
Complete the collection offers form to let us know about the material you would like to offer. Please include as much information (for example a list of the material on offer) as you can as this will assist us to assess the offer more efficiently.
What happens next
We will assess your offer using the Collection Development Policy.
After we’ve completed our assessment we’ll let you know whether your offer has been accepted and we’ll discuss the next steps.
Haven’t heard from us?
We receive a lot of offers and it can take some time to assess each one. If you have not heard from us please contact collections@sl.nsw.gov.au
Unsolicited donations
You can send us donated material without completing the collection offer form. Unsolicited donations that we don’t accept may be offered to another collecting institution or discarded. We may not respond to unsolicited donations.