History

Browsing for books on the shelves can be a very useful way to gather materials on a topic. For libraries using the Library of Congress system for classifying books, all books on a topic are shelved together. 

The three main areas for books on history are 

• D for general history; subclasses designate history of specific regions, for example, DD for Germany, DT for Africa, etc.
• E for the American continent; books in this area are arranged by time period
• F for United States local history; there are separate sections for each state

Libraries use a call number system to organize materials in their collections. A call number allows you to find a book on the shelf, and also gives you some indication of the subject matter of the book. Watch this brief video (3:55) to learn how to read call numbers.