Monday to Friday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
Closed
ARCHIVES – By appointment
The Library & Archives will be closed
Monday, July 3 for Canada Day
Monday, August 7 for Natal Day
Monday, September 4 for Labour Day
902.422.1271 ext. 171
library@ukings.ca
King’s Library is a welcoming and beautiful study and reading space housing an impressive collection of books, art and archival materials. Established by Charles Inglis, the founder of the university, the King’s Library had accumulated a significant collection of books by 1802 covering classics, history, foreign languages, literature, natural sciences and theology. The Library continued adding books throughout the 19th century, including several incunabula (books printed before 1500). It also acquired medieval manuscripts, natural history specimens, historical artifacts and artworks. The Library’s award-winning building was erected in 1989 to commemorate the bicentennial of the university. Holdings of 70,000 volumes support the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on materials relating to the Contemporary Studies, Early Modern Studies, History of Science and Technology and Foundation Year programs and the School of Journalism. The Library is also a museum, with art, artifacts and one of the oldest collection of ceramics in Canada. The Archives, which contains the university’s inactive records having permanent value, is on the lower floor. It has honours theses, student publications and extensive holdings of King’s Students’ Union records. The special ambiance in the Library’s award-winning building creates an elegant, peace-filled study space. King’s students also have access to the Novanet consortium of libraries, including libraries at Dalhousie University.
King’s students have full access to Dalhousie’s electronic resources through a joint agreement with our neighbouring institution.
King’s alumni may access online resources from a computer in the Library Reading Room. Licensing agreements limit off-campus access to current students, staff and faculty only. Please be aware that access to licensed resources is for academic purposes only.
The University of King’s College Library contains over 80,000 volumes. The general collection supports the undergraduate teaching of the College, particularly in the Contemporary Studies, Early Modern Studies, History of Science and Technology and Foundation Year Programs, and the School of Journalism. There are over 50,000 volumes in the reference and general circulating collection.
Periodicals do not circulate. Those retained are catalogued and are in the Novanet online catalogue. A list of periodicals received is kept at the Information Desk. Current issues are on stands in the Reading Room and bound back issues are located in the stacks.
The Library contains Special Collections of nearly 20,000 volumes, which includes medieval and renaissance manuscripts, incunabula (15th century printed books), and thousands of 16th, 17th, and especially 18th century volumes. The Weldon Collection of pottery and porcelain includes some notable pieces of 17th and 18th century Chinese Export Porcelain. Specimens from the Weldon Collection are on permanent display in the foyer of the Library. The Margaret and Wallace McCain Gallery, on the lower floor of the Library, contains permanent and changing exhibits of rare books, museum artifacts and archival materials from the Library’s collections.
The Weldon Collection is one of the oldest collections of ceramics in Canada. It consists of more than 300 items of pottery and porcelain originally owned by early settlers, including Loyalists. The collection was presented to the College in 1880 by Susanna L. A. Weldon and her husband, Judge John W. Weldon, in memory of their son Haliburton Weldon, who had died soon after graduating from King’s in 1873. Susanna, the daughter of Thomas Chandler Haliburton, had collected the items over a number of years. She carefully recorded all her acquisitions in a catalogue notebook, which she titledSpecimens of China brought to the Colonies by the early settlers, particularly the Loyalists. A selection from the Weldon Collection is on permanent display in the Library. This display was designed by Dr. Marie Elwood, formerly Chief Curator of History at the Nova Scotia Museum, who has catalogued the collection.
The Bray Collection consists of the surviving books from three early clerical libraries. In the spring of 1977, several boxes of old books were discovered in the belfry of Christ Church, Windsor, where they had lain forgotten for decades. The hundreds of volumes were the remains of a library owned in the 18th century by a clergyman in England. While the collection is largely theological in character, there are also books in other subjects that any 18th-century gentleman might have owned, including classical and English literature, agriculture, mathematics and medicine. This collection of books was given to the Library of the University of King’s College by Christ Church Parish in 1979, and is now designated as the Bray Collection. As indicated by their book-plates, the books were presented to the parish in 1797 by Dr. Bray’s Associates of London, which had acquired the library from its former owner. This organization was begun by Dr. Thomas Bray (1656-1730), the Anglican missionary who founded both the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (1698) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (1702). While serving as a missionary in Maryland, Dr. Bray was struck by the intellectual isolation of the clergy. His scheme for providing lending libraries for the parochial clergy, both at home and abroad, arose out of his American experience. Associates of Dr. Bray continued the work after his death. While the library at Windsor was the first of the Bray Libraries in Nova Scotia, and probably in Canada, a number of others were established throughout the province in the 19th century; two of these are also preserved at King’s. The parochial library from Trinity Church, Digby (Bray II), founded about 1844, incorporated books brought to Digby by the first Loyalist missionaries, who brought their books with them when they were forced to leave the rebellious colonies. The parochial library from Trinity Church, Liverpool (Bray III), dates from the middle of the 19th century. The Bray Collection has been designated as a “Special Collection of Research Value” by the National Library of Canada.
Hollingworth Tully Kingdon (1835-1907), scholar, author and Anglican clergyman, became the second Bishop of the Diocese of Fredericton. Born in London, he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, when theological and liturgical developments were sweeping through the Church of England. Kingdon was strongly influenced by these movements, and became a leader in the Tractarian revival of ecclesiastical learning. After serving as vice-principal of Salisbury Theological College, he was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Fredericton in 1881, and in 1892, succeeded John Medley as Lord Bishop of the Diocese. Kingdon has been acclaimed as “one of Canada’s most distinguished theologians.” He wrote books on doctrinal subjects, as well as tracts and pamphlets on controversies facing the church in his own day. He was rewarded with honorary degrees from universities in both England and Canada (D.C.L., Trinity; D.D., Vind.) Kingdon was also a noted book collector: a biographical sketch in 1890 spoke of him as “the possessor of a large and valuable library, containing some works so rare as to be almost priceless.” This library has been compared with that of T.B. Akins as among the few really outstanding collections of books in Atlantic Canada formed in the 19th century. His library included mediaeval manuscripts, incunabula, and hundreds of early editions of the Greek and Latin Church Fathers, printed in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The library is also particularly rich in 19th-century works that record theological and liturgical controversies in the Church of England, and is valuable as a contemporary record of the period. In his will, Bishop Kingdon bequeathed his library, consisting of some 2500 volumes, to the parish of Trinity Church in Saint John, NB. At the time of his death, this collection was described as “the best private theological library in Canada.” In 1985, the Parish gave the Library to the University of King’s College, where it complements and augments an already very strong collection of historical Anglican theology. The Kingdon Library is valuable not only for the considerable intrinsic merit of the books, but also for the evidential value that they present as the complete working collection of a bishop and scholar of the Anglican Church in Canada in the 19th century. The Kingdon Library has been designated as a “Special Collection of Research Value” by the National Library of Canada.
King’s students and faculty can book an appointment for research assistance by emailing Library@ukings.ca.
Explore Subject Guides The Library maintains subject guides to the Contemporary Studies Program, the Early Modern Studies Program, the Foundation Year Program, the History of Science and Technology Program, the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction program, and the School of Journalism. These guides are created by subject librarians to help students get the most out of the Library.
Libraries in the Novanet consortium—of which the University of King’s College is a member—will no longer charge late fees on most loaned items. This change will persist at all Novanet libraries after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.
Students must present a valid student ID card from a Novanet member university or college in order to borrow books from the Library. This ID card permits borrowing from any Novanet library, but the card must first be registered at the student’s own university or college library. Patrons are responsible for renewing their library registration each year, and for informing their library of address changes. Registration, renewal and change of address can be made at the circulation desk.
With the exception of Reserve items, books can be returned to any Novanet library.
Faculty and staff must present a valid ID card from a Novanet member university or college in order to borrow books from the Library. This ID card permits borrowing from any Novanet library. To ensure proper loan privileges, it is recommended that faculty and staff ID cards be registered at their home library before going to another Novanet library to borrow. Patrons are responsible for renewing their library registration each year, and for informing their library of address changes. Registration, renewal and change of address can be made at the circulation desk.
The following loan periods apply for items borrowed from the University of King’s College Library only. King’s and Dalhousie Faculty
Loan privileges for faculty will differ at each Novanet Library. Please confirm your loan period at the time of borrowing. King’s Staff and Faculty of other Novanet Institutions Books: 90 days Journals: non-circulating Audio/Visual: various Reserves: various Staff of other Novanet Institutions
With the exception of Reserve items, books can be returned to any Novanet library.
Alumni of King’s may continue to borrow from the University of King’s College Library after graduation at no charge. A borrower’s card can be obtained by making a request at the circulation desk. This borrower’s card is valid only at the University of King’s College Library. Alumni who wish to borrow from other libraries in the Novanet consortium must qualify for a Novanet Off-Campus Borrowers card. Alumni are responsible for renewing their library registration each year, and for informing the library of address changes. Registration, renewal and change of address can be made at the circulation desk.
Residents of Nova Scotia who are 18 years of age or older can obtain a Novanet Off-Campus Borrowers card, which permits borrowing from any Novanet library. Patrons are responsible for renewing their library registration each year, and for informing the library of address changes. Registration, renewal and change of address can be made at the circulation desk. Those who do not qualify for a Novanet OCB card are welcome to consult materials in the library.
With the exception of Reserve items, books can be returned to any Novanet library.
Computers are provided on the lower floor of the Library and a King’s/Dalhousie NetID and password are required. QuickPrint workstations (one equipped with a scanner) are located in the Reading Room. General access computers are also provided on the main floor of the Library for research purposes only. Black & white ($0.10 per page) and colour laser printing ($0.50 per page) is available.
The Library is a wireless environment and the network is accessible with a Dal/King’s NetID. For instructions in accessing the wireless network, please contact any of the Computer Centre Help Desks at Dalhousie University.
Lockers are available for rental in the Library on a per-term basis. Locks are supplied. Please inquire at the Circulation Desk.
A microfilm and microfiche reader/printer is located on the main floor of the Library. Documents can be printed for a fee.
A photocopier is located on the main floor of the Library. Only black & white photocopying is available ($0.10 per page).
The Library’s Rare Book Consulting Room is available to King’s students, faculty, and staff as a Group Study Room for groups of 2-6 people during the Library’s open hours. The room is located on the main floor of the Library, to the right of the Circulation Desk. Any current student can book the room for a maximum of two one-hour sessions per day. No student may have more than two hours of current bookings. Further bookings can only be made after 9 am on the day following the existing bookings’ expiration. Students who wish to book this room must first obtain Library borrowing privileges by registering their King’s ID cards with the Circulation Desk of the Library. Two students must present their King’s ID cards at the Circulation Desk, just prior to the beginning of the reserved time, to be let into the room. Please note: Failure to confirm a booking within 30 minutes of the start time can result in cancellation. To book this room for the consultation of Rare Books, Archival or Special Collections materials, please contact the Librarian. This room may be booked for a sole user in its capacity as a Rare Book Consulting Room. To book this room, sign in to your Library account. Please read the Group Study Room Policy. If you require assistance in making a booking, please contact the Circulation Desk at 902-422-1271 ext. 171, or by email at library@ukings.ca.
Find us on Social Media
@ukclibrary
@ukclibrary
@ukclibrary