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Psychology : Collections

A general overview of psychology library resources.

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Library Catalog

Finding the Best Book for You

UW-Madison Library Collections are a complex and growing system that can be difficult to navigate when beginning your research. This guide is meant to help you navigate the library's resources and hopefully point you towards the best places to start your research.

There are 38 libraries on UW-Madison campus. Each library collects books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and electronic resources specific to a field of study. The libraries that will have the most relevant material for your research are: 

 

Library of Congress Call Numbers

A call number is like an address; it tells you where the book is located on the shelf. Each item in the library has its own unique call number which is attached to the book's spine or upper left hand corner of the cover. The Library of Congress arrnages materials by subject. The first section fo the call number represents the subject of the book. The second section often represents the author's name, and the last section is the date of publication.

Books on psychology are classifed as BF. This subclass is then further broken up by call number ranges to specify different areas of study within psychology. For example:

  • Books on psychology of conciousness (including learning, memory, and intelligence) are within the range BF309-499
  • Books on genetic psychology are within the range BF699-711
  • Books on developmental psychology are within the range BF712-724.5
  • Books on parapsychology are within the range BF1001-1389
  • Books on psychoanalysis are within the range BF173-175.5
  • Books on experimental psychology are within the range BF180-198.7

All of the Library of Congress subclasses for psychology can be found in Library of Congress Classification Online. If you have any more questions about Library of Congress call numbers or how to use the library, ask a friendly librarian!

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Steve Baumgart
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Phone: (608) 262-3647
Subjects: Psychology

Library of Congress Call Numbers

Watch "How to Read Library of Congress Call Numbers" by Yavapai College Library to learn more about Library of Congress Call Numbers and how to find a book in the library!