LibGuides: History: Finding resources

Using LibrarySearch

LibrarySearch is the Library’s main search tool, allowing you to cross search many of our print and online collections in one place. Use LibrarySearch to discover books, full text journal articles, conference papers and proceedings, reports, ebooks and some audio visual content.

LibrarySearch can also be used to identify references to peer-reviewed articles, books and other documents not currently held by the Library, but which we may be able to obtain for you through our Document Delivery service.

Find the link to LibrarySearch in the My Learning (students) and Learning Support (staff) pages in the portal. Type your keywords in to the Quick LibrarySearch box in Search the Library to get started.

A classmark is a string of numbers and letters assigned to all our physical library material which is arranged by subject on our shelves. The classmark tells you the exact shelf location in the library for a particular item. Each item on our shelves has a classmark label on its spine.

The main part of a classmark is a set of numbers representing the subject of the item. The first three numbers represent the broad subject area. The numbers following the first three (and the decimal point) break the subject down into a more specific area. The three letters after the numbers represent either the first three letters of the surname of the author or the title of the material. For example:

941.081 MIT - Daily life in Victorian England

941 = History of the British Isles

.081 = Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
MIT = First three letters of surname of author book (Mitchell, Sally)

Useful classmarks for you to explore are:

800-899 – Literature

900-909 – History (general)

910-919 – Geography and travel

930-939 – History of the ancient world

940-949 – History of Europe

950-959 – History of Asia

960-969 – History of Africa

970-979 – History of North America

980-989 – History of South America

990-999 – History of other areas