Overview

Library Materials is a service accessible to recognized public libraries, university libraries, and libraries maintained by non-profit organizations or associations for public use in Canada.

Library Materials service is available for eligible library materials that a library mails to its patrons or to a borrowing library for use by their patrons.

Please note: Authorization won’t be given for materials exchanged between libraries and between libraries and their patrons when the library is operated as a commercial enterprise or the library restricts its membership to a specific group of patrons.

A library must complete a Library Materials Service Application Form and be authorized by the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) to ship items at the Library Materials service prices. Visit the CULC website to get the form. Libraries must complete the application and return it directly to the CULC. You can find details on the form.

Authorization of the application gives access to:

  • The Library Materials service prices
  • The Library Shipping Tool

Library materials may consist of:

  • Books
  • Magazines
  • Records
  • CDs
  • CD-ROMs
  • Audiocassettes
  • Videocassettes
  • DVDs
  • Other audiovisual materials
  • Other similar library materials

The Library Materials service will only accept material that:

  • Consists wholly of reading matter
  • Has no advertising or administrative materials other than incidental notification of books or books circulated between libraries for use of their patrons

Library materials must:

  • Be shipped in appropriate packaging provided by the shipper
  • Bear a complete address, including the correct postal code

To ship items at the Library Materials service prices, a library must:

Visit the CULC website to get the form. Libraries must complete the application form and return it directly to the CULC. You can find details on the form.

When the CULC authorizes the application form, a library gets access to the: