Gifts are essential for acquiring library materials, in addition to purchase, obligatory copy and exchange, and are also very important in special libraries. The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (IPCHS) has eight libraries in seven Slovenian cities. The aim of this work is to present the field of donated material in the collection development policy of special libraries and how the eight libraries of the IPCHS handle the donated material. We have reviewed the current state of donated material, the procedures followed during its processing and the criteria used for accepting or rejecting donated material. Between January and February 2024, we conducted a content analysis of the existing written policies on the collection development of donated material. Using a convenience sample of ten Slovenian and foreign special libraries, we compared the elements and content of the policies and their alignment with the professional recommendations and guidelines. A statistical analysis of library catalogues and an assessment of the status of uncatalogued donations were carried out in seven IPCHS libraries between March and May 2024. Procedures for accepting and handling donated materials were investigated through structured written interviews with IPCHS librarians. Six librarians responded to the interviews, which were conducted in July 2024. The results showed that the selected policies follow the elements determined by the professional guidelines and standards for handling donated materials. The analysis of the inventory situation shows that the IPCHS libraries have catalogued only 29 % of the total donated library collection. Much of the donated material remains uncatalogued due to time and space constraints. For some libraries, it was not possible to determine the exact number of donated items because the method of acquisition had not been defined. In the light of the results of our research, we have made recommendations for the updating of the written collection development policy of donated materials in IPCHS libraries, which could also help other special libraries in the development of the collection development policy for donations.
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