Folklore, Mythology and Fantasy Collections Guide

From their original sources in human belief and imagination, the subjects of folklore, mythology and fantasy have found expression in many of the branches of the Arts and Humanities. So, rather than looking for one location in the Library, members should widen their searches for these topics across the Library’s collections. While folklore and mythology are most focused in the classmark S. Folklore, their reach across the Library is broader than that, and fantasy can be studied in more than just the Library’s Fiction collection.

Founded in 1841, the Library’s collection has grown each year and we hold titles from the late 18th century onwards on the open shelves.  As a result, our collection reflects the evolution and changes in thinking in a particular subject and does mean that you may come across titles which contain ideas and vocabulary that would be considered abhorrent today. The collection continues to grow with some 5,000 new titles being added each year. As we develop the collection, we seek to ensure that the controversial topics of today are represented from all sides of a debate.