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Guide to Resources in History

Special Collections

The University Library has an extensive and rich Special Collections.To search for books use L ibrary Search and for manuscripts and muniments use the Archive Catalogue however not all of the collections are yet in the catalogue, so it may be best to contact Special Collections Staff if you are seeking a resource.

Please note that visiting is by appointment only. To arrange a visit, please either email speccoll@st-andrews.ac.uk or telephone (01334) 462339. (The telephone may not always be answered immediately, but the voicemail messages will be checked and responded to regularly.) You should provide us with your preferred date and as much detail as you can of what you wish to consult. Staff will discuss with you an appropriate time and duration of visit.

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Resources for Palaeography

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Reference Collections

The Library's printed Reference Collection is on Level 4, and a wide range of language dictionaries is available on each Level. Please note, however, that many additional Reference publications can be found in our electronic collections.

Cambridge Histories Online
includes over 250 volumes of the Cambridge Histories, including a variety of subject areas including American and British History, Language and Linguistics, Political and Social Theory and Literary Studies
CREDO Reference
offers over 650 major reference books - dictionaries, encyclopaedias, thesauri, biographies, books of quotations, atlases and quick reference works on every subject
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
a database of men and women who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century. Over 58,500 people included
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
entries contain detailed etymological analysis, and are illustrated by quotations from a wide range of English language sources from around the world, making the OED a unique historical record. Updated quarterly
Oxford Language Dictionaries
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
Oxford Reference
a collection of over 125 core academic subject, language, and quotations dictionaries
Who's Who and Who Was Who
a directory of the noteworthy and influential in every area of public life, published worldwide. Who Was Who includes 100,000 people, now deceased, who were included in previous editions of Who's Who creating the definitive roll-call of British history.