Searching and Finding
Searching for a book
The first step to finding a book in our collection is to look for it on the Library catalogue. There are two catalogues that list our books:
iDiscover: University-wide system which include records for the University Library, Departmental Libraries, and College Libraries (including Magdalene).idiscover.cam.ac.uk
A LibGuide is available which explains how to get the most out of using iDiscover and includes several useful introductory videos.
If you have any questions about search strategies or need assistance with a particular enquiry, please ask the Library Team.
Is it available to borrow?
Once you have located a record you can check if it is available to borrow in the “Request Options” section of the record. It will show how many copies are available to borrow, in the case below it is on loan as there are ‘0’ available.
For further details, such as due date, click on ‘Magdalene College Library’.
Under ‘Status’ it will tell you if it is on the shelf.
The Status will be either:
- On loan (with due date) = Book is out on loan to someone
- Item in Place = Book is on the shelf
- In Transit = The book has been recalled and is waiting to be picked up by the requester
If a book is ‘On Loan’ then you can log into your account and Recall it if you require it. Depending on who has the book they will have to return it in 3 days, excluding weekends (see loans policy). You will be notified when it is available.
If an item is shown as ‘Item in Place’ but is not on the shelf please let a member of the library team know, as it may have gone missing.
Finding the book
Check where the book is located in the Library
To find where a book is in the library you need to know the ‘Location’ and ‘class mark’.
Location
There are a number of locations in the Library:
Main Library: Right Cloister (Ground and First Floor), Brooke Gallery and Left Cloister
Wigglesworth Law Library and Wigglesworth Short Loan: located in Left Cloister
Oversize: There are two oversize sections in Right Cloister; one in Parnell Room on Ground Floor (to the right) and one under the window opposite the stairs on the First Floor.
Reserve Collection: Located either in the Brooke Gallery.
Special Collection: Special items kept in the College Library. Please ask staff to access these items.
Pepys Library: Items kept in the historic Pepys Library. Please contact the Pepys Library to request access to these items: library@magd.cam.ac.uk
Old Library: Items kept in the College’s Old Library. Please contact the Old Library to request access these items: library@magd.cam.ac.uk
Classmark
We have two different types of classmark in the College Library. Once you have the classmark, you can locate the books via the annotated map, or by looking at the numbering on the end and top of the stacks and on the shelves.
Old style classmark
example: 4.D.20
|
4 |
C |
20 |
|
Subject i.e. English |
Subject Subdivision i.e. Poetry |
Unique Number per book (multiple copies/editions will be 20A, 20B, 20C etc |
New style classmark
example: 6.C.3 SMI
|
6 |
C |
3 |
SMI |
|
Subject i.e. Modern Languages |
Subject Subdivision i.e. German |
Second Subdivision i.e. Anthologies |
Author’s Surname i.e. Smith |
Old style: 4.D.20
The classmark consists of a number, one or more letters, and a number, e.g. 4.D.20. The first number represents a broad subject area, the letter represents a more specific subject, and the final number is the place within that sequence. For example:
4 = English
D = Shakespeare,
20 = It is the 20th book in the Shakespeare sequence
New Style: 6.C.3 SMI
The newer style classmarks have additional subdivisions and are organised on the shelf in alphabetical order according to the author’s surname. For example:
6 = Modern Languages
C = German
3 = Anthologies
SMI = Smith
Please note, with the new style classmarks you will find multiple books with the same classmark, particularly if they are by the same author. In these cases you should check the spine or barcode to ensure you have the text you want.
Item locations
The Library is classified into the following broad subject areas and subdivisions.
For an overview of the Library stock locations please see the Library Map.
1. Archaeology and Physical Anthropology
Location
Middle Room, Left Cloister
A Archaeology
C Physical anthropology
2. Classics
Location
First Floor, Right Cloister
A Oxford Greek Texts (Located in Brooke Gallery, bay 1)
B Loeb Greek Texts
C Other Greek texts and translations (A – G)
D Other Greek texts and translations (H – Z)
E Greek literary criticism and culture
F Greek philosophy and religion and science
G Oxford Latin Texts (Located in Brooke Gallery, bay 1)
H Loeb Latin Texts
J Other Latin texts and translations
K Latin literary criticism and Roman culture
L Medieval Latin
(Ancient History: see 8.B, C and D)
3. Human, Social and Political Sciences
Location
First Floor, Right Cloister
A Social Anthropology
AA Anthropological theory and methods
AA.1 Theory and methods
AB General studies and themes
AB.1 General studies
AB.2 Economic Anthropology
AB.3 Kinship Anthropology
AB.4 Political Anthropology
AB.5 Religion, magic and mythology
AC Studies by geographical area
AC.1 Africa
AC.2 The Americas
AC.3 Asia and Pacific
AC.4 Europe
C Political philosophy and politics
D Sociology
(See also 9.B : Criminology.)
E Management Studies
F Social Psychology
(See also 11.N : Psychology)
4. English
Location
First Floor, Right Cloister
A Anthologies
B Poetical texts: 16th-17th centuries
C Poetical texts: 18th century –
D Shakespeare: criticism
DA Shakespeare: texts
E Dramatic texts
F Dramatic criticism and history
G Prose texts
H General Criticism: 16th-17th centuries
J General Criticism: 18th century –
K General and miscellaneous
L Novels (See also 4.O)
M Medieval English (prose, poetry, drama and criticism to c. 1550)
MT Early English Text Society
O American literature
5. Economics
Location
First Floor, Right Cloister
A.1 General Economics
A.2 Economic Theory and methodology
A.3 History of Economics
A.4 Macroeconomics
A.5 Microeconomics
A.6 Economics & mathematics
A.7 Financial/Monetary
A.8 Public Economics
A.9 Labour Economics
A.10 International Economics
A.11 Development Economics
A.12 Industrial Economics
A.13 Urban & Regional Economics
A.14 Environmental Economics
6. Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics
Location
First Floor, Right Cloister
A Linguistics
AA Theoretical Linguistics
AA.1 Theoretical Linguistics (General)
AA.2 Morphology & Syntax
AA.3 Phonetics and Phonology
AA.4 Semantics & Pragmatics
AB Descriptive Linguistics
AB.1 Descriptive Linguistics (General)
AB.2 Historical Linguistics (inc. etymology)
AB.3 Comparative Linguistics
AB.4 Social Linguistics
AC Applied Linguistics
AC.1 Applies Linguistics (General)
AC.2 Psycholinguistics (incl. language acquisition)
(See also ‘language’ section B. under individual MML languages)
B French
B.1 French Language
B.3 French Anthologies
B.4 French texts & literary criticism (General)
B.5 French texts and criticism – up to 1500
B.6 French texts and criticism – 16th Century
B.7 French texts and criticism – 17th Century
B.8 French texts and criticism – 18th Century
B.9 French texts and criticism – 19th Century
B.10 French texts and criticism – 20th Century
B.11 French texts and criticism – 21st Century
C German
C.1 German Language
C.3 German Anthologies
C.4 German texts & literary criticism (General)
C.5 German texts and criticism – up to 1500
C.6 German texts and criticism – 16th Century
C.7 German texts and criticism – 17th Century
C.8 German texts and criticism – 18th Century
C.9 German texts and criticism – 19th Century
C.10 German texts and criticism – 20th Century
C.11 German texts and criticism – 21st Century
F Italian
G Spanish
GA Catalan
H Russian
J Portuguese
M Dutch
N Scandinavian
O Polish
P Slavic
Q Arabic/Persian
R Hebrew
S Languages of China
T Japanese
U Korean
Z Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic
Z.1 General
Z.2 Anglo-Saxon
Z.3 Norse
Z.4 Celtic
7. Geography and Earth Sciences
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A Geography
B Earth Sciences
8. History
Location
First Floor, Right Cloister
A Historiography & General History
B Greek History
C Roman History
D Ancient History (General)
F Medieval Church
H European history:
HA General European History
HB French History
HC German History
HD Eastern European/Balkan History
HE Italian History
HF Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg History
HG Russian History
HJ Iberian (Spanish/Portuguese) History
HK Scandinavian History
Each section is further subdivided into:
1 General
2 Medieval
3 15th to 16th Century
4 17th to 18th Century
5 19th Century
6 20th Century
7 21st Century
8.J British History:
JA General (including series of text books)
JB Medieval political and constitutional (to 1485)
JC Tudor political and constitutional (1485-1603)
JD Stuart political and constitutional (1603-1714)
JE Modern political history (since 1714)
JF Modern political letters, memoirs and biographies (since 1714)
JG British Social and Economic History
JG.1 British Social and Economic History (General)
JG.2 British Social & Economic History – up to 1500
JG.3 British Social & Economic History – 1500 to 1700
JG.4 British Social & Economic History – 1700 to 1945
JG.5 British Social & Economic History – 1945 onwards
JJ Foreign policy and naval history (located in the Brooke Gallery)
JK The Constitution (since 1714)
JM British Empire and Commonwealth
(British Economic History – See 3.A)
(Political Philosophy – See 3.C)
L History of the United States of America
LA Latin America & Caribbean
M World History
MA African History
MB Indian History
MC Chinese and Korean History
MD Japanese History
9. Law and Criminology
Location
Wigglesworth Law Library, Left Cloister
A Law – General and historical
B Criminology
AA History of Law: Roman
AB History of Law: English
BA Public Law: Constitutional
BB Public Law: Criminal
CA Common Law: Contract
CB Common Law: Tort
D Property Law
DE Equity
E International Law
EA Environmental Law
EE European Union Law
EF Foreign and Comparative Law
F Jurisprudence
GA Company Law
GB Labour Law
H Family Law
J Evidence and Procedure
KA Miscellaneous: Hamlyn Lectures
KB Miscellaneous
KC Miscellaneous: Pamphlets
L Commercial Law
10. Mathematics, Physics and Engineering
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A Analysis
B Algebra and Geometry
C Physics
D Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering
E General Engineering:
EA Structures and materials, and civil engineering
(See also: 11.O)
EB Thermodynamics and fluid flow
EC Electrical
ED Miscellaneous
FA Probability and statistics
FB Applied Mathematics in Science and Engineering
FC Miscellaneous Mathematics
FD Computer Science
G Chemical Engineering
11. Natural and Medical Sciences
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A Physical Chemistry
B Inorganic Chemistry
C Organic Chemistry
D Biochemistry
E Physiology and Pharmacology
F Pathology
G Anatomy and Histology
H Medical (Miscellaneous)
HA Clinical Medicine
HV Veterinary Medicine
J General Biology, Evolution and Genetics
K Morphological Zoology
L Ecology, Behaviour and Physiological Zoology
M Botany
N Psychology
O Metallurgy and Mineralogy; Crystalline State (See also: 10.EA)
P Miscellaneous Science (including History and Philosophy of Science)
(Earth Sciences, see 7.B; Physics, see 10.C)
12. Philosophy
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A History of Philosophy
B General
(Political Philosophy, see 3.C; Philosophy of religion see 14.M.3)
13. Land Economy
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A.1 Land Economy (General)
B.1 Planning
B.2 Conservation and planning
B.3 Urban development
B.4 Housing & housing policy
C.1 Real Estate, property and valuation
D.1 Agriculture
D.2 Forestry
14. Theology, Religion and the Philosophy of Religion
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A Biblical Criticism
AA General
AB Old Testament
AC New Testament
AD Patristics and early Church texts
B History of Christian Doctrine and Church History
(See also: 8.F, Medieval Church)
C Christian Theology and Ethics
D Texts (Theological)
E Oxford Movement (special collection, available only on request)
G Buddhism
H Hinduism
I Islam
I.1 Islamic texts
I.2 History and theology
J Judaism
K Other religions or religious movements
M Religion, comparative religion and philosophy of religion
M.1 General Religion
M.2 Comparative religion/inter-faith dialogue
M.3 Philosophy of religion
N Science & religion
(See also 3.AB.5 Anthropology of religion)
15. Architecture and History of Art
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A Architecture
B History of Art and Architecture
C Film Studies
D Graphic Novels
D.1 Graphic Novels: Criticism and history
D.2 Graphic Novels
16. Music
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A History and Interpretation
B Scores
17. Education
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister
A Historical
B General and Theoretical
(See also 11.N, Psychology)
18. Cambridge, Magdalene College, Parnell collection & miscellaneous
Location
Ground Floor, Right Cloister (Parnell Collection), Brooke Gallery (College)
A Cambridge
B College (books about the College, and about or by its members)
C Magdalene College Magazine and Record
D Sarawak Foundation Collection (available only on request)
F Charles Stuart Parnell and Irish Studies [Located on Ground Floor, Right Cloister]
Benson Reference Room
Location
Benson Reference Room, Left Cloister
R. A Encyclopaedias
R. B Dictionaries
R. C Concordances
R. D Histories
R. E Music
R. F Miscellaneous (including Bibliographies)
R. G Atlases
R. H Engineering
R. J Journals
Middle Room
Location
Left Cloister
R.S Study Skills
W Welfare
Past Exam Papers
Magazines