<p>It can go both ways. I hazily recall that in the early 1980's the John Crerar Library holdings (that were at that time housed at the Illinois Institute of Technology) along with about $18 million were offered to the University of Chicago. Again through my hazy memory, I remember there was some reluctance to taking the collection because it included engineering holdings, which many at Chicago felt was much to applied for the University. It was only when the emphasis was more focused on science research did the deal get done. The library now anchors the new science quad at the University.</p>