Unlike other legal deposit libraries, a significant amount of Cambridge University Library's collection is available on open access shelves. Books are organised by subject, by size and by date of publication. Serials are kept on separate shelves. Valuable material, illustrated works such as exhibition catalogues and poetry are held on closed access shelves and can be requested in the West Room. French history and geography books as well as French literature and linguistics have specific classification marks listed below. Other material relating to French studies is classified with other language material. You can refine your search on Newton by selecting "French" as a language.
For further details on classification, please consult the Classification scheme.
History and geography
French history books are classified between classmarks 560 and 568 on the open shelves. Works on a specific area, such as the former French colonies, are classified by country rather than period. Please note that works on the First and Second World War have specific classmarks, regardless of the geographical area.
560.4 | Early, to 1515 | Medieval history |
560.6 | 1515- | Early modern and Modern history in general |
560.62 | 1515-1589 | 16th century |
560.64 | 1589-1715 | 17th century |
560.8 | 1715-1789 | 18th century |
561 | 1789-1804 | French Revolution |
562 | 1804-1815 | Napoleonic period |
563.12 | 1815-1830 | Restoration |
563.14 | 1830 | Revolution |
563.15 | 1830-1848 | July Monarchy |
563.18 | 1841-1851 | February Revolution, Second Republic |
563.3 | 1870-1871 | Franco-Prussian War |
563.4 | 1871-1918 | Third Republic |
539.511 | 1914-1918 | First World War in France |
564.1 | 1918-1940 | |
564.15 | 1940-1958 | Fourth Republic |
539.40 | 1939-1945 | Second World War in France |
564.2 | 1958- | Fifth Republic |
564.3 | 1995- | |
567 | Regional studies (with subdivisions) | |
569.01-5 | French constitutional history | |
569.6-8 | Former French colonies and overseas territories |
Geographical coverage
628.26 | 1664-1761: French in India, French East India Company |
631.92-3 | French in India |
632.82-95 | Vietnam |
632.8 | Indo-China |
640.6 | France in Africa, general |
645.1-15 | Libya |
645.2-3 | Tunisia |
645.3-33 | Algeria |
645.4-45 | Morocco |
647.1-2 | French-speaking Africa |
647.5 | Benin (Dahomey), Ivory Coast, Guinea, Togo, Mali (French Sudan), Senegal, Burkina Faso |
647.6 | Chad (incl. Lake Chad), Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Central African Republic (French Equatorial Africa), Niger (colony, republic and river). For the French Sahara, see 645.7 |
648.1-2 | Cameroon |
652.6 | Madagascar |
652.7 | Mauritius, Reunion |
662.25 | French and Irish in Canada |
662.3-35 | French Canada, English conquest |
664.66 | United States, French Wars |
672.88 | French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique) |
674.7 | French Guiana |
678.6 | French possessions in Oceania |
682.6 | Haiti |
Literature and linguistics
Literature in the French language is classified between classmarks 735 and 739 on the open shelves. It is organised by genre, with subdivisions by century.
734.8 | Breton literature |
735 | Literature, general |
736 | Poetry |
737 | Drama |
738 | Fiction |
739 | Prose (other than fiction) |
772 | French linguistics |
773 | Romance languages and dialects collectively (incl. French) |
788 | French and Provencal dictionaries |
Religion
20.2 | French Bible, text, history and criticism |
28.2 | French New Testament |
61.46 | Reformation in France |
62.2 | History of Christianity in France |
71.5 | Papacy and French Revolution |
78 | Catholic Church in France |
154.2 | Huguenots in France |
Fine arts
401.5 | Architecture and architects |
403.5 | Sculpture and sculptors |
404.21 | Drawing, design and designers |
405.24 | Painting and painters |
408.45 | Ceramics and ceramic artists |