The Panayotis & Effie Michelis Foundation Library of Aesthetics specialises in aesthetics, architecture, the fine arts, the philosophy of art, and philosophy in general. The provenance of the core holdings is the personal collection of Panayotis Α. Michelis and his wife, Effie
Accessible on the Foundation’s website, the Library’s online catalogue (OPAC) comprises some 20,000 entries in Greek and other languages, 1,000 rare article offprints, as well as a unique bibliography of 5,000 articles from the five most authoritative international journals on aesthetics, of which the Library has complete runs. The ongoing Collection enrichment, based on donations and new acquisitions, keeps it constantly updated and connected with Universities and academic institutions in Greece and abroad. This way the Library constitutes an important international research centre for Aesthetics.
In addition to the main collection, the Library includes sections for Greek and international journals, old books (before 1900), Greek classics, and naïve art.
Moreover, the Library houses the archive of the International Association for Aesthetics (IAA), including a complete series of the proceedings of the International Congress of Aesthetics from 1913 to date.
Open to the public and housed in a specially remodelled facility, the Library caters to researchers, students, and academics. The Library resources can only be viewed on the premises. Internet access is provided, and visitors may use their own computers.
Richard Woodfield Collection
The donation of a valuable book collection on philosophy, aesthetics, and the history of art by the British professor of philosophy Richard Woodfield, first vice president of the International Association for Aesthetics (IAA), has contributed to the internationally recognised importance of the Foundation’s Library of Aesthetics. The Richard Woodfield Collection is a distinct division of the Library, comprising 1,000 items and counting.