Library Assistance Scheme
Mathematics Library Assistance Scheme for Developing Countries
Shipment Support for Donated Books to Libraries in Developing Countries
The IMU- CDC Library Assistance Scheme matches donors of mathematical materials with libraries in universities/research institutions in developing countries where there is a need for mathematical research literature.
CDC offers limited financial support for shipment costs for individual scientists or institutions wishing to donate books in the mathematical sciences to libraries in developing countries.
Potential donors notify IMU of their available donations, which are then (if suitable) listed on this website. Potential recipients can browse the list of available items and apply to the CDC for the materials. If a match is made, the donor will then be notified with instructions on shipping directly to the recipient. Shipments are never made to the CDC. The donor packs the materials (if possible), schedules the pick-up and the international shipping by a suitable shipper, pays the shipping bill, and is reimbursed by the CDC for the shipping costs.
Materials currently available
When contacting the CDC, indicate the number of the donations you are interested in.
No materials available at the moment.
How to Apply
Please read this text below before you click on the inquiry form.
To access the CDC online application or report forms for CDC grants, you have to login on the IMU website with your credentials or create a new Log in (on top of this page- see picture below). You can use this login for all IMU pages and CDC online application and report form
After you have logged in, you can apply for a Libary Assistanc Scheme Grant.
The inquiry form can be found below; in the Section "For Donors" or "For Libraries".
For Donors
If you are interested in donating your scientific books (mathematics or related subjects) to a library in a developing country, please send a list of the books to be donated and the name of a contact at the recipient library to the CDC Administration.
In case you do not have a library contact in a developing country, CDC will publish the list of materials online until a library in a developing country applied for the books/ journals.
Please note that you have to arrange the shipment yourself, CDC can either transfer the cost prior to the shipment or reimburse afterwards. For either payment method the original shipping receipt has to be submitted to the CDC Administration in the IMU Office in Berlin.
Suitable types of materials include multi-year runs of primary research journals, as well as quality research books, and monographs in mathematics. Notices of any kind of mathematical societies are not appropriate donations for this program. Widely available publications are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
CDC does only fund the shipment cost. Not the payment of books.
Donors will be notified about the approval of the books/materials to be donated.
If you do not have contacts to a library in a developing country, please note that there will often be a waiting period before a suitable recipient is found, and then the donors will receive instructions about the shipping preparation.
For Libraries
If you are interested in receiving donated scientific books (mathematics or related subjects), please send a list of the mathematical areas in which books are needed to the CDC Administration. We will keep the library in a database until a potential donor is found and shipment arranged.
Applicants will be notified about the result of the request. If plans are made to ship the materials, the receiving institution should anticipate any customs problems and instruct the CDC on specific shipping requirements. The CDC cannot pay customs duties. Those should be paid by the recipient.
Confirmation E-mail
Please contact cdc.grants@mathunion.org in case the online application form does not work.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
After you have submitted your application online you receive an automatic reply. If you do not received this, please contact: cdc.grants@mathunion.org