British Library shelfmarks are given at the end of each entry in lists of reference sources. Items that have shelfmarks with the prefixes listed below are available on the open access shelves of the Humanities Reading Room or of another St Pancras Reading Room. The shelfmark prefix indicates the Reading Room in which the item is located.
| HLL, HLR, etc | Humanities - Floor 1 |
| HUL, HUR, etc | Humanities - Floor 2 |
| HUS | Humanities - Floor 2 (Sound Archive) |
| MSL, MSS, etc | Manuscripts Reading Room |
| MUS | Rare Books and Music Reading Room (Music) |
| OI | Oriental and India Office Collections |
| OPL, etc | Social Sciences |
| RAR, RAX, etc | Rare Books and Music Reading Room (Rare Books) |
Other shelfmarks are for items that have to be ordered up from the stacks on the Online Catalogue terminals in the Reading Rooms. Most of these items are on site and can be ordered up quickly (the code of service target is for 90% to be delivered within 70 minutes). Items at outhoused shelfmarks take up to 48 hours, not including weekends.
Humanities Reference Service and Sound & Vision Reference Service
British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7412 7831
Fax: +44 (0) 1937 546321
E-mail: Ask the Reference Team
