Subject guide: History by St John's College, Cambridge

HISTORY A guide to resources

St John’s College Library www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library

Resources for History BOOKS Most of the materials of relevance to historians are located on the Second Floor (Penrose section). The main history section covers chronological sequences, country by country, with classmarks beginning D-F. The general arrangement is as follows:

General, World, and European

DK Russia and Poland

Great Britain

Scandinavia

Austria, Czechoslovakia

Spain and Portugal

France

DQ Switzerland

Germany

Balkans

Greco-Roman World

Asia

Greece

Africa

Italy

DU Australasia, Pacific

Low Countries

North America, Canada

Holland

Latin America

DJK Eastern Europe

Works on broad categories of history may be found in a variety of locations on the First and Second Floors. Examples include:

BR (First Floor, Garden Wing)

Church history (general)

BX (First Floor, Garden Wing)

Church history (denominational)

CC (Second Floor, Penrose section)

Archaeology (theory)

CD (Second Floor, Penrose section)

Archives

D-F (Second Floor, Penrose section)

Archaeology (specific sites, classified by country)

HC-HJ (Second Floor, Garden Wing)

Economic history

HN-HX (Second Floor, Garden Wing)

Social history

JC-JX (Second Floor, Garden Wing)

Constitutional history and some political history

Q 125-175 (Mezzanine)

History of science

JOURNALS Details of the Library’s journal holdings, listed by subject, are available via the website: www.joh.cam.ac.uk/journals

Relevant titles include:

Classmark:

Holdings:

Anglo-Norman Studies

DA 192.B3

Vol. 1- (1978-)

Anglo-Saxon England

DA 151.A5

Vol. 1 (1972-)

Antiquaries Journal

CC 23.L6

Vol. 31- (1951-)

ANT (in Basement)

Vol. 1-30 (1921-50)

Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies

DA 700.C3

(1981-)

English Historical Review

D 1.E5

Vol. 58- (1943-)

ENG (in Basement)

Vol. 1-57 (1886-1942)

Historia

D 51.H5

Vol. 1- 62 (1950-2013)

Historical Journal

HIS (in Basement)

Vol. 1-61 (1958-2018)

Historical Research (Bulletin)

D 1.B7

Vol. 1- 86 (1930-2013)

History

HIS (in Basement)

Vol. 12-98 (1927-2013)

Journal of Contemporary History

D 410.J6

Vol. 29-46 (1994-2011)

Past and Present

D 1.P3

(1978-)

PAS (in Basement)

(1952-1977)

Revue Historique

REV (in Basement)

Vol. 153-315 (1926-2013)

Speculum

D 111.S6

Vol. 51- (1976-)

SPE (in Basement)

Vol. 36-50 (1961-1975)

DA 20.R6-7

(1951-)

ROY (in Basement)

(1875-1950)

DA 20.T8

Vol. 1-23 (1990-2012)

Transactions of the Royal Historical Society [Fifth and Sixth Series] [First, Second, Third, Fourth Series]

Twentieth-Century British History

Recent, unbound issues are shelved in the Periodicals Area on the Ground Floor. Runs of bound journals are generally shelved in the Penrose section on the Second Floor (before the main sequence). Older volumes are shelved in Chapel Basement, arranged alphabetically by title or by name of issuing institution. E-journals can be searched via Cambridge LibGuides (see overleaf for more information).

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS The Old Library contains a wealth of primary sources for historians, as well as early editions of key historical texts. The early printed collections span the fifteenth to early nineteenth centuries. Owing to the number of statesmen who passed through the College's doors in the sixteenth century, the collections are particularly strong for Britain during the Tudor and Jacobean periods, as well as the English Civil Wars of the seventeenth century. The development of the anti-slavery movement in Britain is also well represented, as two Johnians, Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce, were at the forefront of its early campaigns. More information can be found on the website: www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/special_collections.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES Cambridge LibGuides provide a complete guide to all subjects and electronic resources, such as ejournals, e-books and databases available across the University: libguides.cam.ac.uk Recommended resources include: 

Bibliography of British and Irish History



Cambridge Histories Online



Historical Abstracts

The Institute of Historical Research provides a comprehensive list of relevant electronic resources on its website: www.history.ac.uk

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Other libraries you may find useful: 

University Library



Seeley Historical Library



Whipple Library

Recommendations

The College Library aims to provide all works necessary for Part One courses, and a selection of the most important works required for Part Two. We receive reading lists from the departmental libraries in advance of each academic year, and continually update the Library collections in response to requests from directors of studies, supervisors and students. You can recommend an item by using the online recommendation form (www.joh.cam.ac.uk/item-recommendations) or by filling in a recommendation form at the Issue Desk. All reasonable requests will be considered. If texts you require for your course are not available in the College Library, please talk to a member of Library staff. Staff If you have any difficulty in tracing the material you need, whether in printed or electronic format, please ask a member of Library staff for assistance. The Issue Desk is staffed Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.