US Collections Guide

The United States is an extremely broad subject containing material relating to art, literature, history, culture, religion, politics and topography. As such, relevant material will be found across the collection and, increasingly, within the electronic resources.  This guide attempts to highlight some of the main areas where material may be found.

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.