Material held on open access in the Humanities Reading Room is arranged by an adaptation of the Dewey Classification System. This is a guide to the main categories of Dewey, by shelfmark and by subject. Open access shelfmarks are prefixed by a three letter code indicating at which level and sequence within the Humanities Reading Room the item can be located.
Open access material shelfmark guide | Open access material subject guide
Open access material shelfmark guide
| 000 | Generalities | 700 | Art | ||||
015 | National bibliographies | 704.948 | Iconography | ||||
| Books in print | 710 | Civic and landscape art | |||||
017 | Library catalogues (Europe) | 720 | Architecture | ||||
018 | Library catalogues (N America) | 730 | Plastic arts, sculpture | ||||
020 | Information science | 740 | Drawing, decorative arts | ||||
030 | Encyclopaedias | 750 | Painting | ||||
052 | Serials in English | 760 | Prints | ||||
| 100 | Philosophy | 780 | Music | ||||
150 | Psychology | 790 | Recreation | ||||
| 200 | Religion | Performing arts | |||||
220 | Bible | 792 | Theatre | ||||
230-280 | Christianity | 796 | Sport | ||||
290 | Comparative religion | 800 | Literature | ||||
| Non Christian religion | 820 | English | |||||
| 300 | Social sciences | 830 | German | ||||
305.4 | Women | 840 | French | ||||
310 | Statistics | 850 | Italian | ||||
320 | Politics and government | 860 | Spanish | ||||
330 | Economics | 870 | Latin | ||||
340 | Law | 880 | Greek | ||||
350 | Public administration | 890 | Other languages | ||||
| Military science | 900 | Geography. History | |||||
370 | Education | 909 | History of the world | ||||
390 | Customs, folklore | 910 | Geography, travel | ||||
| 400 | Language | 920 | Biography | ||||
410 | Linguistics | 929 | Genealogy | ||||
420 | English | 930 | History of the ancient world | ||||
430 | German | 941 | History of Britain | ||||
440 | French | 941.1 | History of Scotland | ||||
450 | Italian | 942 | History of England | ||||
460 | Spanish | 943-949 | History of Europe | ||||
470 | Latin | 950 | History of Asia | ||||
480 | Greek | 960 | History of Africa | ||||
491.7-491.9 | East European | 970 | History of North America | ||||
| 500 | Science | 980 | History of South America | ||||
| 600 | Technology | 990 | History of rest of the world | ||||
610 | Medicine | ||||||
Open access material subject guide
| Architecture | 720 | History of the world | 909 |
| Art | 700 | Iconography | 704.948 |
| Bible | 220 | Judaism | 296 |
| Biography | 920 | Italian language | 450 |
| Books in print | 015 | Italian literature | 850 |
| Children's literature | 809.89282 | Landscape art | 710 |
| Christianity | 230-280 | Language | 400 |
| Classical languages | 470-480 | Latin language | 470 |
| Classical literature | 470-480 | Latin literature | 870 |
| Comparative religion | 290 | Law | 340 |
| Customs | 390 | Library catalogues (Europe) | 017 |
| Decorative arts | 740 | Library catalogues (N America) | 018 |
| Drawing | 740 | Library and information science | 020 |
| East European languages | 491 | Linguistics | 410 |
| Economics | 330 | Literature | 800 |
| Education | 370 | Medicine | 610 |
| Encyclopaedias | 030 | Military science | 350 |
| English language | 420 | Music | 780 |
| English literature | 820 | National bibliographies | 015 |
| Folklore | 390 | Painting | 750 |
| French language | 440 | Performing arts | 790 |
| French literature | 840 | Philosophy | 100 |
| Genealogy | 929 | Plastic arts | 730 |
| Geography | 910 | Politics | 320 |
| Geography | 900 | Prints | 760 |
| German language | 430 | Psychology | 150 |
| German literature | 830 | Public administration | 350 |
| Government | 320 | Recreation | 790 |
| Greek language | 480 | Religion | 200 |
| Greek literature | 880 | Science | 500 |
| Heraldry | 929.6 | Sculpture | 730 |
| History | 900 | Serials in English | 052 |
| History of Africa | 960 | Social sciences | 300 |
| History of Asia | 950 | Spanish language | 460 |
| History of Britain | 941 | Spanish literature | 860 |
| History of England | 942 | Sport | 796 |
| History of Europe | 943-949 | Statistics | 310 |
| History of North America | 970 | Technology | 600 |
| History of South America | 980 | Theatre | 792 |
| History of Scotland | 941.1 | Travel | 910 |
| History of the ancient world | 930 | Women | 305.4 |
Humanities Reference Service
British Library
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UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7412 7831
Fax: +44 (0) 1937 546321
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