The Institute has a well developed library and documentation service, which was founded in 1954, i.e. the same year as the Institute. Its library systematically collects criminological literature, i.e. books and other relevant materials, and annually receives on a regular basis about 80 titles of periodicals. All materials acquired by the library have been classified or indexed according to the subject matter and the references entered in subject catalogues (since 1987 in a computerised bibliographical database). The library does not serve the needs of the Institute's researchers alone, but is open to the general public. The library lends all available materials to its users and also provides an inter-library loan service. Its information service has its own bibliographical database, started in 1987, containing at present 25,000 indexed bibliographical references, mostly in foreign languages.

Collections

The library collects literature and all other materials concerning criminology, criminal justice and other related subjects. The majority of the library's materials are in foreign languages, most of them in English (this applies to books, as well as to periodicals).

Users of the library

The users of the library are researchers, teachers and students of law, social sciences, psychology, social work, police science and other faculties and schools. The library also serves the needs of criminal justice professionals and practitioners, people from the mass media and all who need any information or materials related to criminology and criminal justice.

Information and documentation service

The information and documentation service was organised the same time as the library. Its principal task has always been to produce information, to organise it in an information system, to make it available to all who need it and to disseminate it in the most appropriate way.

Computerised Database

All materials acquired by the library have been indexed since the beginning. This applies to books as well as to articles from periodicals. Since 1987, books and articles from periodicals have been processed by a new system of key words and references entered into a computerised database. The database, which was created in 1987, contains currently almost 25,000 indexed bibliographical references, most of them in foreign languages. Each reference contains a bibliographical description and key words; in addition, book references also include a table of contents. The database is updated with new references on a regular basis.

Integration of the library in the international exchange of information Since references of the Institute database are predominantly in foreign languages, they can also be useful to professionals outside Slovenia and meet the needs of criminologists and criminal justice specialists in other countries. The library extensively uses foreign information available through Internet, particularly different web sites and databases related to criminology and criminal justice. On the international level, the library is a member of the World Criminal Justice Library Network, which largely promotes the exchange of information and materials among WCJLN members and co-operation among criminal justice libraries in the world. WCJLN also organizes bi-annual conferences and thus enables to its members to be informed with new developments and to keep in touch with other librarians and information specialists.