Creative Writing Research Guide : Finding Creative Work in UW Libraries

Want to find your way around the literature section of the libraries a bit better (or impress your friends)?

Then learn a thing or two about the call numbers for the literature sections of the library!

First things first: "Language and Literature" call numbers all begin with "P". From there, "PR" is for English literature, and "PS" is for American literature.

To see how these call numbers drill down even further, take a look at the Library of Congress outline for subclasses "PR" and "PS". Looking for British diaries? You can go right to PR908. Or American women authors? That's PS147-152.

Creative writing can be found in many locations throughout the UW Libraries. Here are some places to begin your search:

• Gaus Poetry Collection in College Library
• Little Magazine Collection in Special Collections at Memorial Library

If you just want to browse the stacks, try the following sections:

• English Literature: PR 1-9680
• English Literature -- Poetry: PR 500-614
• English Literature -- Collections of Poetry: PR 1170-1228
• American Literature: PS 1-3576
• American Literature -- Poetry: PS 301-326
• American Literature -- Collections of Poetry: PS 580-619

You may also search the catalog for individual titles and authors/editors, such as "Elizabeth Bishop" or by subject, such as "travel writing".

Ellen Jacks has compiled an in-depth research guide focusing on "Finding Fiction at Memorial."