In the past, the Library has benefited greatly from the gifts of books and other materials and continues to welcome gifts of materials that support the goals of the American Hungarian Foundation.
Any proposed gifts must be carefully evaluated in order to determine their utility to the Library’s users. Particular interest is paid to scholarly, current, or rare items in good physical condition with research value or items which document the history and contributions of Hungarians to America and Hungarian culture and literature. In evaluating proposed gifts of materials, the Foundation must consider the resources required and costs incurred in handling, accessioning, processing, cataloging, storing, conserving, preserving, and providing access to contributed materials. For these reasons, the Library cannot accept all offered gifts of materials but will make selections from the materials that are so generously offered by prospective donors. Selection decisions will balance research value against considerations of cost and resource allocation.
If it is necessary to decline the offer of a gift, alternative recipients will be suggested whenever possible. If any unsolicited materials are mailed, dropped off or otherwise delivered to the American Hungarian without regard to this policy statement and the Libraries’ review procedures, the Library reserves the right to use or dispose of such materials in any manner we deem appropriate and without any obligation whatsoever to the person who delivered such materials.
Gifts of materials that are accepted by the American Hungarian Foundation become the absolute and unconditional property of the Library. Any large or significant gift of materials that the Library accepts must be documented by a Deed of Gift executed by both the donor and the Foundation when the gift is accessioned and acknowledged.
A gift to the American Hungarian Foundation may have significant legal and tax consequences, and all prospective donors are encouraged to consult with their legal, tax, and financial advisers before finalizing any gift. In particular, donors and their advisers should familiarize themselves with Internal Revenue Service requirements for claiming charitable tax deductions. The Library, as a recipient, may not provide a monetary appraisal of a gift for tax purposes, and we may not commission or pay for such appraisals.
The Library will endeavor to process and catalog in a timely manner all gift materials selected for the collections. However, the Library cannot promise to process and catalog gift materials within a stipulated time period or by a specified date.
