English

Collection overview

The collection covers all aspects of English Studies, from the earliest origins to the present day, with a strong focus on English literature. The collection is particularly strong in the following areas:

The medieval period (c.450-1500)
The early modern period (c.1500-1700)
19th-mid-20th century
Post-colonial literatures in English
Critical theory and comparative literature

The book collection is also significantly enhanced by a rich periodicals collection with holdings dating back to the 17th century.

See our latest acquisitions

Collection location

The English collection is located on the 5th floor South Block
All items available on open access will display the location ENGLISH, with the classmark prefix 3 eg ENGLISH South Block 5th Floor (3) YO H26LN 2001
The Library subscribes to major ebook databases such as Early English Books Online (EEBO) and increasingly purchases individual titles available via MyiLibrary which can be accessed via the online catalogue
Recent issues of periodicals/journals are located in the North Reading Room (Periodicals Room) on the 4th floor South Block. For more information, see our journals resources page
Back issues of periodicals are held in the closed access stacks. These will display the location Stack Service on the catalogue. These can be requested via the online catalogue and collected at the service desk, 4th floor South Block
To locate individual titles use the online catalogue
Also use the catalogue to search for specific electronic journal titles. Full text services such as JSTOR and Academic Search Complete offer additional titles for which the Library does not have print holdings.

Related collections

For literature by and about Caribbean authors see the subject guide and web pages for Latin American & Caribbean Studies
For literature by and about US authors see the subject guide and web pages for United States Studies
Film and Media Studies
Theatre Studies
Palaeography collection – manuscript facsimiles and works on English manuscript studies
Anthropology and Sociology collections – for gender studies and folklore
Special Collections – especially the Sterling Library of rare and first editions and the Durning-Lawrence Library, which is rich in literature of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods
Dictionaries and literary reference works are located in the Reference Collection, North Reading Room, 4th floor South Block (although some titles are held in the main collections)
The Library Archives include Literary archives and Theatre and drama manuscript resources. The archives catalogue includes a subject search facility.

Classmarks for English

All classmarks in this collection have a numerical prefix of 3, eg ENGLISH South Block 5th Floor (3) YO H26LN 2001.

YA: English language

YB: English literature - general works

YC: Anglo-Saxon literature (450-1100)

YD: Middle English literature

YE: Chaucer and 15th century

YF: Early Tudor (1500-1558)

YG: Elizabethan (1558-1600)

YH: Shakespeare

YI: 1600-1660

YJ: Restoration (1660-1700)

YK: 1700-1745

YL: 1745-1789

YM: Romantic period

YN: Victorian

YO: Edwardian

YP: 1900-1960

YQ: 1960-2000

YR: 2000-

YS: Postcolonial literatures in English

YU: Comparative literature/Critical theory

YW: Poetry and poetics

YX: Film and theatre studies

YY: Written and rhetorical style

ZDV: Children’s literature

For a more detailed explanation of classmarks see the Library's leaflet 'A guide to the classification scheme'.

Other libraries

For more information about English holdings in other academic libraries in the London area, please consult the M25 Consortium of Higher Education Libraries website: www.m25lib.ac.uk. For elsewhere in the UK, consult the Consortium of University and Research Libraries catalogue: www.copac.ac.uk.