Books are very useful secondary sources when you're doing historical research. Unlike journal articles, which tend to focus on a very specific topic, a book provides comprehensive coverage of a topic, placing the topic within its broader historical context as well as providing detailed information on the topic itself. That kind of breadth and depth is impossible in a short article. Scholarly books also provide extensive bibliographies that can help you identify relevant materials that you may want to look at for your own research.
The boxes below provide information and access to McFarlin Library resources that will help you identify and retrieve books related to the history of the written word. Some will be available only in print in the library, others are electronic and are available online. If you have any questions or problems, please reach out to the librarians: mcfarlinlibrary@utulsa.edu.
Most of the print books are located on the Main and Intermediate Levels in McFarlin Library's west wing. They are shelved according to their Library of Congress Classification number, which is based on the topic of the item. Materials related to books and writing are shelved in Subclass Z:
| Z4-115.5 | Books (General). Writing. Paleography | |||
| Z4-8 | History of books and bookmaking | |||
| Z40-104.5 | Writing | |||
| Z41-42.5 | Autographs. Signatures | |||
| Z43-45 | Calligraphy. Penmanship | |||
| Z48 | Duplicating processes. Copying services Including mimeographing, multilithing | |||
| Z49-51.5 | Typewriters. Typewriting. Keyboards. Keyboarding | |||
| Z52-52.5 | Word processing | |||
| Z53-102 | Shorthand. Stenography. Phonography | |||
| Z102.5-104.5 | Cryptography. Ciphers. Invisible writing | |||
| Z105-115.5 | Manuscripts. Paleography | |||
| Z116-659 | Book industries and trade | |||
| Z116.A2 | Treatises on the modern printed book | |||
| Z116.A3 | Book design | |||
| Z116.A5-265.5 | Printing | |||
| Z124-228 | History | |||
| Z231-234 | Printers and printing establishments | |||
| Z234 | Medallic history of printing. Tokens | |||
| Z235-236 | Printer's marks, mottoes, etc. | |||
| Z237 | Paper. Watermarks, etc. | |||
| Z240-241.5 | Incunabula. Block books Including broadsides, playing cards |
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| Z242.9-264.5 | Practical printing Including printing as a business, layout, paper and ink, machinery, type and type founding, electrotyping, desktop publishing, typesetting, presswork |
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| Z265-265.5 | Representation or reproduction of books, documents, etc., by photography, microphotography, or other means | |||
| Z266-276 | Bookbinding. Book decoration | |||
| Z278-549 | Bookselling and publishing | |||
Please don't hesitate to ask if you need assistance in locating a book.
ProQuest's Ebook Central has over 200,000 academic ebooks from a variety of publishers on a wide range of topics and disciplines. You may read the ebooks in your browser or check them out and download them for offline reading on your laptop, tablet or phone (iOS or Android).
HINT: To search for an exact title, enclose the title in quotation marks: for example, "Diplomat in Carpet Slippers"
If you need assistance in using the ProQuest ebooks, please consult ProQuest's Ebook Central LibGuide which provides detailed instructions, including tutorials on using the online reader, and how to download ebooks. You may also contact the McFarlin Library Research Dept. The librarians will be happy to help!
Can't find what you need at McFarlin? Use these resources to locate books that may be available online or from other libraries. If you find a book you want:
