W&L

University Library

German

Resources and Help

Finding Resources in German Using the Library Catalog

Whether you are looking for books, articles, or something else, you can start at the Library Catalog. The Library Catalog searches across the library's  print and electronic collection, indexing most of our books, articles, films, audio, government documents, rare books, and more! 

There are several different strategies for finding sources in German.

You can . . .

  1. Enter your search using the Library Catalog search box on the main library website.
  2. Using the provided filtering options (on the left side of the screen on a computer), to limit the search results. Select "Language" → "German."

Or ...

  1. Go directly to the Library Catalog's Advanced Search Interface.
  2. Enter your desired search terms and limit by "Language"  → "German" before clicking "Search."

Finding German Literature and Literature in Translation

Looking for German literature or literature in translation? Here are some tips:

If you are looking for an actual literary work, not commentary/criticism on that work, try using the Library Catalog's Advanced Search screen and search by the title and the author. You can also limit by language, if you are looking specifically for the original work or the translated form. Finally, you can limit by item type, if you only want a book and not a cinematic interpretation of the work.

Example:

Advance search screen with limitations set for author, title, item type, and language

Finding German Works on the Shelves

Literature

The University Library employs the Library of Congress [LOC] Classification System to organize our physical materials (except government documents).

Materials relating to German Literature are classified under "PT." See breakdown of classification system for language and literature.

PT books are located on Leyburn's Lower Level 4.

History

Materials relating to German History are classified under "DD." Remember, if you are looking for materials IN German, filter your results by language → German. See a breakdown of the classification system for history. Additionally, German is the official language in several other countries. Histories on these locations will not appear in "DD." For example, the following histories appear in the noted call number ranges.

  • Belgium: DH401-811
  • Austria: DB1-879
  • Switzerland: DQ1-851
  • Luxembourg: DH901-925
  • Liechtenstein: DB881-898

Contemporary German Newspapers

The following newspapers/news sources include contemporary access.

❗❗ Important: These news sources lack associated images that may have appeared in other print or digital versions. ❗❗

Historical News Sources in German