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Professional Writing and Communication (ENGL 224): Finding Books in the Library

A research guide for Prof. Karen Kaiser Lee's course (ENGL 224)

Finding books using Library of Congress Subject Headings

There are two ways to discover books on Languages and Literature:

(1) Search the online book catalog

In our online catalog, keywords can be used to automatically search across titles, tables of contents, and Library of Congress subject headings.  The subject headings help you find books related to a particular topic.

When you find a good book, click on the book title.  This will take you to a detailed record which includes subject headings.  Click on any subject heading and the catalog will automatically find books related to that subject heading.

(2) Browse books on the shelf

Books are arranged on the shelves using the Library of Congress classification system.  The classification system groups together books related to a particular subject.

This enables books on a particular topic to be located side-by-side, so browse the shelves!

Classification for books on Language and Literature 

Class Subject Heading  
P    Philology Linguistics
PA   Greek language and literature
Latin language and literature
PB Modern languages Celtic languages
PC Romance languages
PD Germanic languages Scandinavian languages
PE English language
PF West Germanic languages
PG Slavic languages Baltic languages
Albanian language
PH Uralic languages Basque language
PJ Oriental languages and literatures
PK Indo-Iranian languages and literatures
PL Eastern Asia languages and literatures African languages and literatures
Oceania languages and literatures
PM Hyperborean languages Indian languages
Artificial languages
PN Literature (General)
PQ French literature Italian literature
Spanish literature Portuguese literature
PR English literature
PS American literature
PT German literature Dutch literature
Afrikaans literature Danish literature
Scandinavian literature Swedish literature
Icelandic literature Old Icelandic literature
Norwegian literature Old Norwegian literature
Old Norse literature
PZ   Fiction and juvenile belles lettres

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