History, Classics & Archaeology Subject Guide

Materials held in Birkbeck Library

Books

Search the Library catalogue to find where materials are located.
For History many of the materials will be in the 900s or at shelfmarks L, M, N & O.
For Archaeology look at 930.1 or LA.
For Classical history look at 930-939 or L, Classical literature will be at 870-885 or XE-XJ
It  is always advisable to check the catalogue rather than browsing the shelves as relevant books can be classified at other shelfmarks, and you may be interested in reserving books that are currently on loan.

Some of your essential reading may have been placed in the Reading Room Collection.

Guide to Library classification in these subject areas.

Electronic Books

• Early English Books Online (EEBO) - contains digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700 - from the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare.
• Medieval Sources Online - a collection of medieval history textbooks including primary sources published by Manchester University Press.
• Oxford Scholarship Online - a collection of classical studies and history texts published by Oxford University Press.
• Many classical texts, are available, see: Classic Bookshelf
  Internet Classics Archive - select from a list of 441 works of classical literature by 59 different authors, including user-driven commentary and "reader's choice" Web sites. Mainly Greco-Roman works (some Chinese and Persian), all in English translation.
  Perseus Digital Library - covers Classics, English renaissance and early mediaeval literature, London history and history of science

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Some reference sources are available online via Oxford Reference Online or Credo reference. The collections can be searched individually or by subject cluster and are all listed on the library catalogue.

Archaeology:

• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology via Oxford Reference Online
• The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature via Oxford Reference Online

Classics:

• Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary via Oxford Reference Online
• Who's Who in the Classical World via Oxford Reference Online
• Who's Who in the Roman World via Credo reference

History:

• Andromeda Encyclopedic dictionary of World History via Credo reference
• Concise Atlas of World History, Andromeda via Credo reference
• A Dictionary of British History via Oxford Reference Online
• A Dictionary of Contemporary World History via Oxford Reference Online
• A Dictionary of World History via Oxford Reference Online
• Dynasties of the World via Oxford Reference Online
• The Encyclopaedia of the Renaissance via Credo reference
• The Great American History Fact-Finder via Credo reference
• The Kings and Queens of Britain via Oxford Reference Online
• The Oxford Dictionary of Local and Family History via Oxford Reference Online
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - an illustrated collection of 50,000 specially written biographies of the men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the year 2000.
• The Oxford Dictionary of Popes via Oxford Reference Online
• The Oxford Dictionary of Saints via Oxford Reference Online
• The Oxford Guide to the United States Government via Oxford Reference Online
• The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of the Italian Renaissance via Credo reference
• Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History via Credo reference
• Who's Who in the Twentieth Century via Oxford Reference Online

Print & Electronic Journals

The Library subscribes to more electronic journals than print ones in this subject area. Most of the electronic journals can be accessed from outside College with your ITS username and password. Click on the eLibrary tab above and select Ejournals to access them. The principal ejournal collections in this subject area are: JSTOR | Project Muse | Periodicals Archive Online.
Also under eLibrary you will find ePrints - a database of research papers by Birkbeck academic staff.

Videos, DVDs, Off-Air Recordings & CDs

These are located in a separate collection on Level 1. All A/V materials are listed on the Library catalogue. If you are looking for a feature film, search by title or director (use Author Alphabetical  when searching for a director). There is also an alphabetical title list of videos/DVDs on the catalogue, if you click on Advanced at the top of the screen.