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The Founding College of the University of Toronto
shelf of books including one with a "Staff Pick" label

UC Books

All About UC Books

UC Books began in 1979 as a small, annual sale offering affordable books to students. More than forty years later, our volunteers collect and assess over 100,000 books annually; operate a year-round Book Shop in the College; and organize a large sale every October. Proceeds from UC Books go to students and the UC Library. 

All books are carefully examined by our trained volunteers and are sorted to go into either the UC Book Sale in October or the UC Bookshop. Other items are considered for the U of T Library holdings, and some are shared with local non-profit organizations in Toronto and Ontario, as well as with schools and programs abroad in countries such as the Caribbean, Central America, and Africa.

  • Fall Sale

    Event Details:
    Thursday October 12 - Sunday October 15, 2023
    10am - 6pm
    Paul Cadario Conference Centre; Clark Reading Room
    University College Building (15 King's College Circle)

    On the first day only (Thursday, October 12) there will be an admission fee of $5 (students with valid photo ID are exempt). Friday through Sunday admission will be free. Most books will be half price on the last day.

    In the Paul Cadario Conference Centre we will have fixed prices for fiction, biographies, travel, cookbooks and more. A separate room on the first floor will have our rare and special books collection for prices as low as $5.

    In the Clark Reading Room on the second floor, we will have all other categories including: philosophy, Greek & Roman, history, politics, religion, math, and science priced from $1.

    We recommend entering the College using either the main doors or the accessible entrance on King’s College Circle. There is now an elevator to take you to the second floor.

    Watch this space for updates.

  • Book Shop

    The UC Bookshop has reopened. Come and enjoy our beautiful space and large selection of used books.

    The UC Bookshop is located in Room A102, off the College Quadrangle in the main building. Currently, the Bookshop is open Monday to Thursday from 11 am to 6 pm. Effective March 10, 2023, UC Bookshop will also be open on Fridays from 12 pm to 4 pm.

    Our shelves are filled with donated books in good condition. We are an excellent source of  out-of-print books and we have recently opened an antiquarian section.

    Books are added to our shelves regularly and range from Art, Classic and Current Literature, Canadiana, Children’s Books, Drama and Poetry, History, Philosophy, Social Sciences and Religion to Sciences, Math, Reference, Travel and Mystery.

    Prices range from $1.00 and up. Payments can be made in cash or with credit and debit cards.

  • Donate

    We accept used items in good condition such as books, DVDs, CDs and electronic games.       

    Our volunteers handle over 100,000 items a year in our workrooms. Incoming books are sorted and directed to various sections of the Book Sale or to appropriate university libraries. Items which the Book Sale cannot use or sell go to student groups and non-profit organizations. 

    Your donations give students access to low-cost reading materials, divert waste from landfills, and help keep books in circulation. We are an important source for out-of-print books for readers and collectors. Revenues from the sale of donated books support students and the UC Library. 

    To arrange a donation drop off in our workroom on Tuesday or Thursday, please contact us at ucbooks@outlook.com. Please include your phone number in you message and will will get in touch with you by return email or phone to discuss your donation. 

    NOTE: We will not be making pickups of books or accepting donations of books at the work room from September 1st until November 1st while we prepare and run the sale 

    We regret that we cannot sell Readers' Digest condensed books, National Geographic and other magazines, encyclopedias (some exceptions apply), out-of-date-textbooks or books with heavy highlighting or ink underlining as well as damaged paper-back books. 

    All donors must use liquor store sized boxes and pack the books lying flat rather than on end.

  • Volunteer

    We’re eagerly counting down the weeks! Our blockbuster book sale will return to University College on October 12, 13, 14 and 15.

    We are now actively recruiting volunteers to help us at the sale, as well as assist during setup (October 7, 8, 10 and 11) and takedown (October 16). 

    Helping with setup includes organizing sections and books within subject categories. 

    During the sale, our volunteers serve in various roles, including:

    • working at payment desks (credit/debit and cash) – training is provided
    • keeping tables of books stocked and organized 
    • supervising rooms and monitoring exits
    • assisting customers and answering questions
    • helping in the volunteer room

    On takedown day, volunteers help pack up materials for storage in our workroom and pack boxes of books for redistribution.

    To prepare for the sale, we will be hosting a volunteer orientation on Tuesday September 26 from 2 pm to 4 pm. Our speakers will provide a brief overview of this year’s sale, we will tour the rooms in University College where the sale will take place, and we’ll answer any questions that volunteers may have.

    If you love books and enjoy working with other volunteers and our customers – and are flexible and willing to assist with a variety of tasks – please complete our book sale volunteer application

    Some roles can require lifting boxes of books, but we welcome everyone and will make accommodation for anyone who cannot lift or who requires a seated position.

Have a question?

Tables of books for the UC Booksale
Selection of books from a previous Fall Sale