Donations and legacies
From its creation in 1934 up to the 1960s, donations of books and journals formed the sole source for building up the library’s collections. Authors systematically sent their books to the library as evidenced by the many dedications that have been found. This tradition still continues today, albeit to a lesser extent. Legacies of personal libraries have contributed and still contribute to the enrichment of the library’s collections. Since the first legacy by Marie Bonaparte in 1962, the library has continued to receive many legacies from SPP members or other psychoanalytic associations. Among the most important legacies in recent years, we may mention those of Joyce McDougall, Paulette Letarte, Liliane Abensour, Bela Grunberger and Janine Chasseguet Smirgel, JB Pontalis and very recently that of Alain de Mijolla.
These collections are incorporated into the collections of the library in Paris as a matter of priority, but they also make it possible to complete the collections of the libraries of the network (Lyon, Toulouse and Saint-Etienne), or to create libraries for small psychoanalytic groups linked to our association, which do not have the resources to buy books (Algeria, Tunisia, Romania). Any surplus is put on sale at low prices for analysts in training and students.
