The Library
The Library of the British Psychoanalytical Society houses
the finest collection of psychoanalytic material in the
world. Our stock of nearly 22,000 volumes ranges from the
mid–19th century to the present day.
The Library contains an extensive collection of
psychoanalytic works published in the UK, related materials
from abroad, and donations from the private collections of
many leading psychoanalysts, notably
Ernest Jones, James Strachey and Donald Winnicott. The Library holds roughly
1600 catalogued monographs and nearly 300 journal titles, 50
of which are active. It also houses unpublished material
associated with the British Psychoanalytical Society. The library catalogue is now available to browse online - click here to view.
The selection criteria for works added to the collection
have in recent years been confined to the sphere of
psychoanalysis and material written by psychoanalysts.
However, we also include a few works relevant to the
practice of any psychotherapist, e.g. ethical guidelines and
general reference material. We also aim to reflect the
reading lists of the various courses run by the Institute.
The older parts of the collection contain material from
disciplines such as mythology, symbolism, early psychiatry
and anthropology.
The Institute is financially committed to raising the
profile of, and improving, its library service. Now that we
have invested in more staff, new wheelchair-accessible
premises and an electronic security system, we are
redeveloping and conserving the modern collection and
improving remote access to services.
Mr Saven Morris Librarian
Ms Hélène Martin Assistant Librarian
Telephone: 020 7563 5008
Fax: 020 7563 5001
email: library@iopa.org.uk
Visiting the Library
The Library is currently open to all members and candidates of the Society at any time.
External visitors to the Library, i.e. those with a Day or a Week Pass, UCL students, anybody attending the Introductory Lectures and the Foundation Course, plus anybody attending events at the Institute have access to the library only during the opening hours listed below.
Those people wishing to obtain a Day or a Week Pass must make an appointment with the Library Staff by email or telephone before their first visit. When they first arrive at the Library they will be asked to register and pay for their Day or Week Pass. If you are eligible for a discount rate then please bring proof of your status.
The opening hours are:
12:30 – 20:30 Mondays to Thursdays;
10:30 - 18:30 Fridays
As a security measure we may require you to place your belongings in a locker for the duration of your visit. Please do not bring hand held scanners, cameras etc. into the Library.
Staff on duty:
Saven Morris (Librarian)
Ms Hélène Martin (Assistant Librarian)
Library Holdings
Books
All users will have access to the main collection of English language books on the open shelves. These books are clearly labelled as lending or reference-only copies (see Library Lending Policy).
The Library has a collection of Off-Prints donated by previous Society Members of papers they have written. These are bound, kept adjacent to the main journal collection and indexed in the main card catalogue.
There is a general reference section in the Members Room consisting of dictionaries, directories, concordances etc. We also have several special and foreign collections available for viewing on request in the Board Room.
Official documents concerning the British Psychoanalytical Society are available on request to Society Members only.
Journals
The main English language journals are in alphabetical order on the open shelves.
Journal
Holdings
This is a printable list of the main titles in our serials collection.
Photocopying and Printing
There is one photocopier in the library. This operates on a Flexicard system. Users can be issued with a rechargeable card: costs are 5p per sheet of A4 paper, 10p per sheet of A3 paper. There is a photocopying service available to those unable to get to the library (please see the section Library Charges for details). Printing is 5p per sheet of A4 paper.
Library Lending Policy
Members of the British Psychoanalytical Society and candidates for Membership of the British Psychoanalytical Society are entitled to have a maximum of 6 volumes on loan at any time.
External visitors to the Library, i.e. those with a Day or a Week Pass, UCL students, anybody attending the Introductory Lectures and the Foundation Course, plus anybody attending events at the Institute may visit the Library and use it for reading, photocopying and reference purposes, but may not borrow books.
Guide to Borrowing
Items will only be loaned provided borrowers have no books overdue or fines outstanding.
Ordinary lending: Unlabelled books may be kept for a month. They may be renewed by telephone, email or in person: it is not necessary to bring books to the Library in order to renew them. Borrowers may renew the loan up to 3 times before the book must be brought in to the library.
Reference-Only: Books labelled with a red sticker are not to be removed from the library.
Journals: All current and back copies and bound volumes are for reference only and are not to be removed from the library.
Library Fines: 20p per day per overdue book.
Requesting Books and Documents and Distance Services
Members of the British Psychoanalytical Society and candidates for Membership of the British Psychoanalytical Society may reserve any book on loan or on order. Ordinary lending books that have been reserved will be recalled one week after they have been loaned if there is a waiting list for them.
If you are a Member of the British Psychoanalytical Society or a candidate for Membership of the British Psychoanalytical Society and we don’t have what you require, we may be able to get it from another library, usually within 10 days. The charge to Members for interlibrary supply is £8.50 for articles and £10 for books.
All users and researchers may request photocopies of documents that we actually hold, subject to copyright rules. Please see the section Library Charges for details and order documents using our Request Form below.
We also offer services to those unable to visit the library in person. This includes supplying documents by post or, for Members of the British Psychoanalytical Society and candidates for Membership of the British Psychoanalytical Society, books. Please see the section Library Charges for details and order documents using our Request Form below.
Members may also have remote access to our Library Charges. Please contact the librarian for details.
Document Request
Supply Form
Library
document supply request form PDF format
Library
document supply request form Word Format
Electronic Resources
The Library has one computer available for the public. As well as general internet access, users can search our catalogue, our in-house reference database, and also our Electronic Journal Holdings. There are several points available for the use of laptop machines in the main study area.
We have installed a wireless device for computers in the Library: the log in details are available on request to the Library Staff.
At the library we provide access to the PEP (Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing) database for all visitors. On request we can offer searching on the PsycINFO database but there is a separate charge for this.
There is a selection of links on the machine to useful psychoanalytic websites and gateways.
Training
The Library staff is happy to offer basic advice on searching PEP and other resources and we have printed guides for users to consult alone. However we may be limited by time and availability of the computer. If you would like more in-depth training please book a time with a member of staff.
Library Charges
Membership |
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Individual |
Institutional |
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Private Researcher |
Academic Staff |
Corporate Institution |
Non-Profit Institution |
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Day Pass |
£10 |
£5 |
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One Week Pass |
£20 |
£10 |
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Applicants must show proof of identity and any
concessionary status. Undergraduates should also provide
an introductory letter from their academic librarian or
head of department.
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Services |
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Self-Service |
Staff-Service |
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Members |
Non-Members |
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Photocopying/ |
5p per sheet
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£5 per item |
£8.50 per
item |
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Postal Loan
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£1.50 per item |
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Inter-library
Book Loan |
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£10 |
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Inter-library
Document Supply |
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£8.50 |
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Literature Search |
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from £20 |
from £30 |
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