Global Studies

The WSU library organizes print materials by subject and describes them using the Library of Congress Classification system. This system assigns each book or journal a unique call number: a letter followed by decimals and numbers. Items are then arranged on shelves with call numbers in alphanumeric order.  See how it works: 

• A -- GENERAL WORKS 
• B -- PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. RELIGION 
• C -- AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY 
• D -- WORLD HISTORY AND HISTORY OF EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, ETC. 
• E -- HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS 
• F -- HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS 
• G -- GEOGRAPHY. ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION 
• H -- SOCIAL SCIENCES 
• J -- POLITICAL SCIENCE 
• K -- LAW 
• L -- EDUCATION 
• M -- MUSIC AND BOOKS ON MUSIC 
• N -- FINE ARTS 
• P -- LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 
• Q -- SCIENCE 
• R -- MEDICINE 
• S -- AGRICULTURE 
• T -- TECHNOLOGY 
• U -- MILITARY SCIENCE 
• V -- NAVAL SCIENCE 
• Z -- BIBLIOGRAPHY. LIBRARY SCIENCE. INFORMATION RESOURCES (GENERAL)

For example the letter F is assigned to the History of the Americas and F 61 - F 75 is the number range for books about Massachusetts. Other numbers in the call number may relate to the author's name, the title, or the year of publication. So, for the book title History of Worcester, Massachusetts  the call number is F 74 .W9. 

If the WSU library doesn't have what you need, consider the following resources: 

• Interlibrary Loan (ILL):  Use the Interlibrary Loan Desk to borrow a book or article from another library. Your item will be emailed or delivered to the library, usually free of charge.  
• WILL: Walk-in Interlibrary Loan program to visit and borrow books from participating Massachusetts Public Higher Education (MPHE) member libraries.
• Academic and  Research Collaborative (ARC): Get an ARC card at the library's main desk to visit and borrow books from these Worcester Area ARC member libraries
• WorldCat  - a free database of resources at libraries worldwide. You can find titles you need in a regional library.