Collection Guidelines: Classics: Subject Info

Image by Boyd Dwyer (IMG_4632) [Public domain or CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 

These are the guidelines by which materials are purchased for the Classics collection of the UW Libraries (Seattle Campus).  For questions or more information, please contact the Classics Librarian.

Classics encompasses the study of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations in all their aspects, including Greek and Latin languages and literatures, philosophy, rhetoric, political theory, art, archaeology and history.  Major emphasis is on the period from approximately the eighth century BCE to the fifth century CE, but attention is also given to the reception of classical tradition by later cultures.

Library of Congress Classification (LC):

• Ancient philosophy is classified in the B schedule and classical mythology in BL.
• History and archaeology of ancient Greece and Rome are classified in DE-DG, with auxiliary sciences of history such as numismatics in C.
• Greek and Roman art is classified in N.
• Classical languages and literature are classified in PA.
• Political science is classified in J and Law in K.

Dewey Decimal Classification:

• Latin and Greek languages are classified in 470-480; Latin and Greek literature in 870-880
• History of ancient Greece and Rome is classified in 937-938
• Other classes of material are in 180 (philosophy), 292 (mythology), and 733 (art)