History: Books

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In the Library Catalog, which you see to the left, you can search for books on any topic, including secondary source works and books that contain primary source material. Books that are owned by other libraries can be found using WorldCat, also to the left. If you need to obtain a book from another library, you can do so quickly using the library's Borrow from Other Libraries option.  Additionally, you may be able to find copies of some texts using Google Books, below left.

Books in our library are shelved according to the Library of Congress classification system, which uses letters to begin each book's call number. Many books on history are shelved in the sections beginning with the following call letters:

• C - Auxiliary Sciences of History (e.g. civilization, archaeology, genealogy, biography)
• D - World History (Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, etc.)
• E - History of the US
• F - US local and regional history, Canada, Latin America

But history books can be elsewhere, depending on the topic. For example:

• HC - Economic history
• HQ - Women's, children's, and LGBTQIQA history
• HX - History of socialism, communism
• PN - Literary history
• Q and subcategories QA, QB, etc. - History of science (letter combination depends on the kind of science in question)

Wonder what those letters/numbers stand for? Check out the Library of Congress Classification Online.

For help finding books in the library, take 3 minutes with our helpful tutorial, Finding Books in the Waidner-Spahr Library, which you can access below.

How to find a book in the Waidner-Spahr Library.