Finding Books & eBooks - History
The majority of the Library's books are now available online as eBooks. You can search for both print and online using UR Library Search.
Here are some handy FAQs about finding and accessing books and eBooks:
- How to search UR Library Search
- How do I find a book on the shelves?
- Borrowing books and requesting items
- Where can I find my module readings?
Most print books on History are shelved on the Third Floor of the Library in the 900s section. See below for more details of the Shelfmark location for each subject (also known as a Call Number).
| Subject | Shelfmark (starts at) |
| Ancient history | 930 |
| Asia and the Far East | 950 |
| British Isles | 941 |
| European history | 940 |
| North America | 970 |
| Philosophy and theory of history | 900, 901 |
| Reference works (dictionaries, encyclopaedias etc) | 903 |
| South America | 980 |
| World history | 909 |
eBooks and Online Reference books
The following eBook collections and reference works are especially useful for History and related subjects.
Key online reference works:
- Encyclopaedia of Islam This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive and diverse reference guide to current knowledge of the Islamic World, including details of Islamic history, religion and the global Muslim diaspora.
- Encyclopaedia Judaica 2007 This link opens in a new window
Overview of Jewish life and knowledge from the Second Temple period to the contemporary State of Israel.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window
50,000 biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond, from the earliest times to the year 2000.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
A collection of reference works published by Oxford University Press, enabling cross searching of over 100 world-leading dictionaries and encyclopaedias.
- Who's Who and Who Was Who This link opens in a new window
The leading source of up to date information about over 90,000 influential people from all walks of life, worldwide, who have left their mark on British public life.Who Was Who is an archive of people included in previous editions of Who's Who.
Key eBook collections:
- Bloomsbury Collections This link opens in a new window
Arts and humanities, especially Philosophy. NOTE: We do not subscribe to all of the content in this database. You can refine your results by selecting the option “Only Show content which I have full access to."
- Cambridge Histories This link opens in a new window
American and British history, economic and scientific history, philosophy, religious studies, theatre studies, warfare and literary studies.
- Cambridge Companions This link opens in a new window
Includes the Companions in: Philosophy, Religion and Culture, Literature and the Classics and Music.
- Cambridge Core This link opens in a new window
eBooks and journals in a range of disciplines. NOTE: We do not subscribe to all of the content in this database. You can filter your results by selecting the Refine option “Only show content I have access to".
- Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive collection of texts from the religious and social upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Early English Books Online (EEBO) This link opens in a new window
Digital facsimile images of virtually every work printed in English from 1473-1700, searchable by keyword.
- Early European Books This link opens in a new window
Facsimile images of books printed in Europe before 1701, searchable by keyword.
- Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Reference books written and compiled by the world’s leading scholars in their field.