African Studies

Politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily concerning Africa, or Africans in any part of the world. Includes Modern Egypt, but does not include ancient Egypt.

AIDS

Any book primarily about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Allied health

Books intended for use by clinical healthcare workers who support and supplement the work of primary clinical specialists such as physicians and dentists, e.g., nutritionists, medical technicians and assistants, paramedics, and midwives.

Anthropological

Books about human beings and their societies and cultures, either past or present. While the work of anthropologists is difficult to categorize and often crosses disciplines, the field has had particular emphases on indigenous peoples and cross-cultural studies. Anthropological insights and methods, which range from archaeology to participant observation, can be focused on virtually any field of human activity.

Applied/Practical

Books offering specific instruction on performing particular tasks. Examples of professional fields with many applied books include education, business, medicine, and engineering.

Books about the study of past human societies through the systematic excavation and study of their material remains.

Applied to books about visual works produced according to aesthetic principles.

Asian Studies

Politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily concerning Asia or Asian people in any part of the world.

Australian Studies

Economics, politics, international relations, geography, culture or any other subject primarily concerning Australia or Australian peoples anywhere in the world.

Australian Writers

For fiction and non fiction books by authors and/or editors who were born in, live in or have an association with Australia.

Benelux Studies

Economics, politics, international relations, geography, culture or any other subject primarily concerning Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) or Benelux peoples anywhere in the world.

Books about technological applications based on biological systems, as in agriculture, food science, and medicine.

Black Studies

Books about organizational or individual activity based on commerce and predominantly focused on financial profit.

Politics, international relations, geography, culture, or any other subject primarily about Canada, or Canadians anywhere in the world.

Career/Vocational Studies

Primarily applied to books about planning or changing a career, interviewing and resume building skills, and information about any given profession or vocation, including further education.

Books primarily about any aspect of the ancient Western world (circa 1200 BCE-455 CE) flowing from the civilizations of Greece or Rome, including other parts of Europe, ancient Egypt and other parts of North Africa, and also including subsequent classical influence on civilization in any part of the world.

Clinical (Medicine)

Applied books intended for physicians or dentists on the diagnosis and treatment of medical or dental conditions.

Communication Studies

Books about human communication, including theories of communication, group communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, propaganda, speech communications, and social aspects of telecommunications.

Consumer

Books intended for general readers (level 05) offering guidance on the accessing or purchasing of any type of good or service, especially healthcare, or advice to lay readers on any other aspect of personal or family life, such as personal finance or parenting.

Books about the theory and professional practice of helping individuals, families, and groups resolve their developmental, psychological, and situational problems.

Crime/Criminology

Books about crimes, criminals, criminal behavior, societal reaction to crime, penology, or the administration of criminal justice.

Critical Theory

A social theory emanating from Marxism, neo-Marxism, the Frankfurt School, European social theorists, and scholars in the United States who study social structures and institutions to determine how social inequalities are perpetuated.

Description/Travel

Books containing current travel essays or other travel writing, or photographic travel books.

Development Studies

Politics, international relations, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily concerning developing nations

Disability Studies

Books about the social, cultural, political, legal, historical, and philosophical perspectives of disability in society. Disability includes any physical, mental, emotional, or learning impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

Books concerning the systems of production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Books concerning teaching or learning of any kind in a formalized setting.

Education, Early Childhood

May span infancy up to age 8. May include overlap with K-12.

Education, Higher

University/College Education.

Education, K-12

Elementary/Secondary Education.

Environmental Studies

Books primarily about human interaction with the environment, including ecological, political, economic, social, as well as physical and biological considerations in natural, rural, and urban environments.

Books about the philosophy and practice of moral behavior in any field of human activity.

European Union Studies

Books concerning the member countries collectively of the European Union as either a geographic region or political entity, with subject matter focused post-1992.

Books primarily focused on the history, criticism, sociology, biography, or practical aspects of cinema.

Gender/Sexuality Studies

Books primarily about gender or sexuality, including men’s studies.

Books primarily about any aspect of human old age or aging.

Graphic Novels

Work of fiction or non-fiction whose narrative is IN comic book format.

Hispanic/Latino Studies

Politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily concerning Spanish communities, in any part of the New World.

Books primarily about events taking place at least ten years before the current date.

History of Science

How science, technology or medical advances must change or are likely to change culture, society, and human development over time.

Indigenous Studies

Politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily about aboriginal or native peoples in any part of the world.

International Relations

Books about the formal and informal relationships that exist among the world’s nations and the formal institutions that support those relationships.

Islamic Studies

Politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily concerning Islam or Muslims in any part of the world.

Jewish Studies

Politics, culture, literature, religion, art, or any other subject primarily about Judaism, Israel, or Jewish people in any part of the world.

Books primarily about law, the practice of law, or the impact of law on any aspect of society.

Law, Technical

Books primarily of interest to members of the legal community due to emphasis on detailed analysis of case law or on practical issues of the legal profession itself, e.g., legal argument or writing, operation of a law office, etc.

Life Writings

Personal narratives, letters, diaries, observations, or autobiography by an individual.

Medical/Medicine

Non-clinical books about medicine, dentistry, medical or dental practice, or the healthcare industry, in any subject classification.

Medieval Studies

Books primarily about any topic concerning the years 455-1485 CE in western Europe.

Middle Eastern Studies

Politics, culture, literature, art, religion, sociology, or any other subject primarily concerning the Middle East or Middle Eastern peoples, generally speaking from Morocco to the Indus River.

Books emphasizing the organization, tactics and strategy of warfare, whether current or historical, such as a study of a particular battle or campaign.

Military & Society

Political, policy, cultural, diplomatic, philosophical, psychological, sociological, economic or other approaches to the study of contemporary or historical topics concerning the military, including organized fighting forces, mercenary forces, insurgent forces, veterans, military bases, and any other relevant area.

Nanotechnology

Books dealing with the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale to develop new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale.

Northern Studies

Science, exploration, anthropology, politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily about northern polar regions, including Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, Lapland, Greenland, northern Russia, other lands within the Arctic Circle, and the Arctic Ocean.

Books in any medical field intended for nurses or about the history, sociology, or other study of their work.

Pacific Rim Studies

Economics, politics, culture, literature, art, religion, or any other subject primarily about regional or inter-regional aspects of the countries that border or are located within the Pacific Ocean, as well as the relationship of this area with other world regions.

Palestinian Studies

Books about all aspects of Palestine, including Palestinian history, identity and heritage, international relations, and the question of Palestine. Not limited to geographic location or region.

Philosophical

Critical, systematic study based on reasoning about the essential nature of anything human. May be used with other disciplines for the study or reasoning of that discipline (i.e. philosophy of literature or of science).

Policy Studies

Systematic study of the substantive domestic actions of governing bodies in areas such as the environment, health care, education, or the economy.

Books about the processes by which public bodies choose leaders, create legislation, and govern themselves.

Popular Culture

Books that focus on the impact of various aspects of popular culture, such as TV, movies, books, music (including classical as subject of pop culture study), magazines and sports, and how they reflect the values of a society.

Poverty Studies

Books about poverty in society, including economic, social, cultural, political, legal, health, and psychological studies.

Related to the scientific study of the behaviour of individuals and their mental processes.

Quantitative/Statistical

Includes quantitative data represented in tables, charts and graphs, usually for a specific time period or showing trend data over a period of time.

Reference Works

Book or set of books designed to be consulted when authoritative information is needed, rather than read cover to cover.

Religious

Books about systems of beliefs and practices based on spirituality or holy scripture and usually involving some form of prayer and ritual.

Renaissance Studies

Books about the intellectual and cultural movements that began in Italy and spread throughout western Europe during roughly the 14th to 17th centuries (Roughly 1485-1660 CE).

Books about any aspect of human settlement outside of towns and cities.

Scandinavian Studies

Economics, politics, international relations, geography, culture or any other subject primarily concerning Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland) or Scandinavian peoples anywhere in the world.

Science/Technology

Books about any technical or non-technical aspect of contemporary scientific or engineering theory, research, or practice.

Social Work

Books about the theory and professional practice of addressing social problems through work with individuals, families, groups, and communities.

Systematic study of the institutions, underlying structures, and patterns of behavior of human beings in communities and groups of every size and scale and with nearly any focus, such as family, race, ethnicity, demographics, gender, caste, class, profession, or location.

Study and teaching

Books about the methods or strategies for guiding oneself or others in the learning or acquiring of knowledge or skills in a particular area.

Works pertaining to use of ecosystems that satisfies present needs while allowing them to persist for future generations.

Books primarily focused on the history, criticism, sociology, biography, or practical aspects of live dramatic performance including theater, opera, and dance (with a staged perspective).

Books illustrative of contemporary life and thought, both fiction and nonfiction, for general and leisure reading.

Urban Studies

Any aspect of cities, suburbs, and other urban areas (e.g., urban sprawl).

Women's Studies

Books primarily about women or feminism, including gender studies with a focus on women.