John and Molly Pollock donated the collection to the college in 2000. It is housed in the Learning and Resource Centre at Centennial College's Progress Campus.

John Pollock was 11 years old when the Second World War broke out. Growing up in Toronto, Ontario, far from the catastrophic events in Europe, he tried to uncover a reason for the extermination of six million Jews, including his mother's family. John Pollock became a lawyer in 1955, and is married to Molly K. Pollock. They have three children and live in Toronto. The Pollocks share an intense interest in reading, art and antiques. They are both serious collectors of Holocaust materials, Judaica, North American Indian art, and African art.

Their choice of Centennial College as recipient of their collection represented a pivotal change in the way Holocaust material would be utilized in this country.

"The Pollocks wanted to see their vast collection of rare and historically significant books and papers in use outside of the traditional university or Jewish settings, and instead be available at an institution serving a multicultural, multi-denominational student group," said Centennial College president Richard Johnston.

Since the Pollocks' donation, the college has introduced three new elective courses to help students of all backgrounds better understand issues of hatred, propaganda and genocide, both in history and in the present.

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