History Guide

Books and ebooks provide broad, in-depth coverage of historical topics. They help you understand background, context, and major interpretations—often drawing on years of research. Use them to gain an overview of your subject, explore historians’ arguments, and find additional sources through their bibliographies.

Enter topic keywords to search Esearch for books and ebooks. The results will open in a new window where you can refine using filters.

Use Esearch to find out whether the Library has a specific title you want or to explore what the Library has on a topic. 

Does the library have a specific title?

1. Start at the Library homepage (emich.edu/library).
2. Type in the title of the book in quotes (for example, "the Cambridge history of the first world war"). Hit your enter key or click on the magnifying glass to search.
3. If you retrieve a single result, you’ve found your book! If you see a list of results, refine your search.
   On the left-hand side of the screen, use the Refine your search options.
   Click the box for Library Catalog to view print and ebook versions of the title.
   Click Print Books to limit your results to print copies, or click eBooks to show only ebooks.

What books are there on a topic?

1. Start at the Library homepage (emich.edu/library).
2. Type in keywords for your topic (for example, Medici women). Press Enter or click the magnifying glass to search.
3. On the left-hand side of the screen, use the Refine your search options.
   Click the box for Library Catalog to view print and ebook titles.
   Click Print Books to limit your results to print copies, or click eBooks to show only ebooks.

Other collections:

Books not owned by the EMU Library or EMU Library books already checked out can be borrowed from other libraries.

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Requesting Books from Other Libraries

First, see if your book is available through MeLCat.

Then, if you cannot get the book through MeLCat, request it through ILLiad (our interlibrary loan service).

History call number browse guide

Library books are arranged by subject. If you would like to browse the reference books on the entry level or the circulating books on the third level, the call number list below can guide you to the correct call numbers.

Many of our older books are in storage behind the circulation desk on the entry level. You will need to search Esearch to identify books in storage and request them.

World History (outside the Americas)

• D — History (General)
• DA — Great Britain
• DAW — Central Europe
• DB — Austria • Liechtenstein • Hungary • Czechoslovakia
• DC — France • Andorra • Monaco
• DD — Germany
• DE — Greco-Roman World
• DF — Greece
• DG — Italy • Malta
• DH — Low Countries / Benelux
• DJ — Netherlands (Holland)
• DJK — Eastern Europe (General)
• DK — Russia / Soviet Union / Former Soviet Republics • Poland
• DL — Northern Europe / Scandinavia
• DP — Spain • Portugal
• DQ — Switzerland
• DR — Balkan Peninsula
• DS — Asia
• DT — Africa
• DU — Oceania (South Seas)
• DX — Romanies

Detailed list of call numbers (World, except the Americas) (opens in a new window, PDF) (PDF)

History of the Americas

• E
  • 11–143 America
  • 151–909 United States
• F
  • 1–975 United States local history
  • 1001–1145.2 British America (including Canada)
  • 1170 French America
  • 1201–3799 Latin America / Spanish America

Detailed list of call numbers (Americas) (opens in a new window, PDF) (PDF)