The Nonprofit Library  at Imagine Canada serves the nonprofit, voluntary and charitable sector in Canada by providing access and helping to build the sector's collective knowledge base.

Our bilingual, online collection, the Imagine Canada John Hodgson Collection houses over 7,000 titles representing the most current works on philanthropy, voluntary action, civil society, corporate citizenship, fundraising, capacity-building, public policy and nonprofit research in Canada. Over 80% of our current titles are available in downloadable formats (free) from our online library catalogue.

Professional library staff provide free reference services by email, by phone and in person. The library is open to the public, by appointment, at our location in downtown Toronto.

• General Services
• Member Services
• Hours and Location
• FAQ
• History

General Services

The Nonprofit Library at Imagine Canada is an online resource center and electronic library collection available free of service to support the work of charities and nonprofits across Canada.

Online library & catalogue The library catalogue provides access to over 7,000 titles on subjects of interest to the nonprofit and charitable sector in Canada. 83% of current resources (published in the last 5 years) are available in downloadable PDF or HTML formats.

The library catalogue is available online and can be easily searched, providing access by author, title, subject, keyword, and date of publication. Search the entire catalogue or limit your search to online resources.

Collections:Our collections emphasize Canadian resources on charitable and nonprofit sector statistics, voluntary action, corporate community engagement, fundraising, accountability, board governance, and works related to charitable giving and volunteering.

Professional library staff are able to facilitate your location of materials in our online collection (either by email, phone, or in person). The library is open to the public, by appointment, at our location in downtown Toronto.

Newswire: A semi-weekly news feed of articles about charities and nonprofit issues in Canada. Specially selected by the library staff at Imagine Canada this is a unique service in Canada. Use RSS to subscribe in your email, Blog roll, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc.

Resource Guides (online): are pre-selected lists of the "best" resources we are aware of in certain areas. We update these guides as frequently as resources are available. We are interested in your suggestions, email them to us at library@imaginecanada.ca . The majority of these works are created by nonprofit organizations or government agencies and are freely available by the creators themselves. Included are journal articles, releases on legal and tax implications of federal regulation and legislation and other topics relevant to all sector organizations. International resources are included more selectively.

E-bulletin "The Library Update": The library update is a quarterly bulletin highlighting the newest resources, acquisitions, and interesting information relevant to the nonprofit sector. It is available to anyone who signs up - Register here.

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Imagine Canada Member exclusive services

"Ask the librarian" Reference service : Members of Imagine Canada are eligible to contact the Online Librarian with more complex questions or more detailed research strategy assistance. Before making a request, we suggest you look at the online library catalogue, or browse the library's resource guides.Library staff can assist you with your research strategy but cannot do your research for you! If unable to offer you the assistance you seek, we will endeavour to refer you to an appropriate information source or direct you to locally available library services.

Members' Lending Library - Borrowing our resources : Members of Imagine Canada are eligible to borrow books from our collection (shipped to you via Canada Post). Find out more about membership here: http://www.imaginecanada.ca/node/38. The Canadian Nonprofit Library Network is a partnership of nonprofit organizations specializing in knowledge and information  mobilization hodling from small community collections to large comprehensive collections. Read more to find your nearest NLN participant.

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How to access our materials

Most of the resources listed in our library catalogue are available online at no charge by the original creators.  When possible to do so, we give direct links to these resources.  However, there are some items which are either print only, paid-access electronic documents, or the originating site has gone off-line and made the link to the resource a dead-end.  There are still several options available to you to access these other resources :

• Those in Ontario, Calgary, or Edmonton may be able to use print-only resources at either our home offices in Toronto, or at one of our partner sites (link to NLN and CNLN search).  Each partner library has different policies regarding hours of operation & specific item usage, so we recommend contacting them before trying to visit.  Those wishing to visit the Toronto office can make an appointment by sending an email to library@imaginecanada.ca.
• Print resources may also be available at a local public or academic library, most of which have online catalogues you can search before making a trip.
• Imagine Canada members may request a loan of certain materials from the Toronto library.  These would be sent (and returned) by mail.  For more information on the Members Lending Service, visit the Members Only section of the Imagine Canada website.
• Many print resources are also available for purchase, either from the original publisher or organization, or from Chapters/Indigo or Amazon.ca.
• In some cases, electronic resources which are no longer available from the original source may be available from a different website.  Please contact us at library@imaginecanada.ca with the title of the resource you are looking for, and we may be able to find an alternate source.  This also helps to alert us when one of our thousands of catalogue links is broken, so please don't hesitate!

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Hours and Location

Hours: Monday to Thursday between 10-4, by appointment only.

The library is located in the Toronto offices of Imagine Canada. To make an appointment, please contact us at library@imaginecanada.ca. or telephone us at 416 597-2293 x255 (toll-free at 800 263-1178 x255).

Mailing address

Imagine Canada — John Hodgson Library
2 Carlton Street, Suite 600
Toronto ON M5B 1J3
Tel: 416 597-2293 x255
Toll free: 1-800 263-1176 x255
Fax: 416 597-1169
E-mail: library@imaginecanada.ca

FAQ

Can I visit the library?

Yes. The Imagine Canada — John Hodgson Library is open to visitors by appointment from Monday to Thursday between 10 am and 4 pm.

Can I check out books?

The library at this time lends out materials to Imagine Canada members.  We are happy to assist you locating materials through the Nonprofit Library Network partner in your region or we recommend visiting your local public library to use their interlibrary loan (ILL) program.

Can I make copies of library materials?

Yes. Equipment for photocopying materials is available at the library. Library visitors are reminded to observe the federal laws regarding unauthorized duplication of copyrighted materials and software.

Do you sell books at the library?

No. For print titles listed in Imagine Canada's publications, please contact the library staff: library@imaginecanada.ca.  Most of the other material  can be ordered from most commercial booksellers and publishers addresses are available through Books in print.

Are there fees?

Access to the online library and collection is free. Certain services are offered only to Imagine Canada members (see above); there is a fee associated with Imagine Canada membership. Nominal fees are charged for copying and printing materials: $.25 per page for photocopies and computer printouts. Cash payment is required and receipts are issued.

Can I order periodical articles?

No. To order copies of articles or back issues of periodicals, you will need to contact the publisher directly.

Can I use the Canadian Directory to Foundations and Corporations?

The Canadian Directory to Foundations and Corporations, also known as the Directory Online, is the searchable funding source database produced by Imagine Canada. You may access the Directory Online from the library, by appointment. The Directory is also widely available in public libraries.

History

Imagine Canada, formerly the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy was founded in 1981. Two years later its Resource Centre was established as the first charitable and voluntary sector library in Canada. The next 15 years was a period of rapid growth as the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy led major initiatives to chart the size and vitality of Canada's charitable and nonprofit sector. In 1997 the Centre closed its walk-in library service and launched its first Internet-based information service.

In December 2002, the Centre launched its online library catalogue on Nonprofitscan.ca (the original library website name and address) and expanded its traditional collection mandate to include downloadable electronic resources.

On March 21, 2003, the library re-opened to the public as the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy - John Hodgson Library. John Hodgson is a long-time supporter and friend as well as a founding director of this organization. John Hodgson is also an acknowledged expert in Canadian estate and trust law, and a tireless advocate of the vital social role played by the voluntary and charitable sector in Canada.

Today, the library offers information services to the sector through Imagine Canada offices in Toronto  and Ottawa, its partners in the Canadian Nonprofit Library Network, members, its publications, and from the Nonprofit Library online http://ic.andornot.com, Canada's leading source of information on the charitable and nonprofit sector.