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Theatre & Dance: A Guide to Library Research

Call Numbers for Theater and Dance

To find books in theater and dance on the library shelves, it is best to search for your subject (e.g. "acting Shakespeare") in the library catalog. However, the following call number ranges are relevant to many aspects of the performing arts.

GT 500 - 2370 Costume. Dress. Fashion (history of fashion)

GV 1580 - 1799 Dance

M 1500 - 1527 Dramatic music (musical theater scores)

PN 2061 - 2071 Art of acting

PN 2085 - 2091 The stage and accessories

PN 2131 - 2193 Theatre by period

PN 2131 - 2145 Ancient

PN 2152 - 2160 Medieval

PN 2171 - 2179 Renaissance

PN 2181 - 2193 Modern

PN 2219.3 - 3030 Special regions or countries

PN 3035 The Jewish theater

PN 3151 - 3171 Amateur theater

PN 3175 - 3191 College and school theatricals

PN 3203 - 3299 Tableaux, pageants, "Happenings," etc.

TT 180 - 200 Woodworking. Furniture making. Upholstering.

TT 205 - 267 Metalworking

TT 300 - 383 Painting. Wood finishing

TT 490 - 695 Clothing manufacture. Dressmaking. Tailoring.

TT 697 - 927 Home arts. Including sewing and embroidery.

Play scripts can also be found in the library's main collection. It is best to search for a specific work or playwright, but if you would like to browse the collection, they are shelved alongside other literary works from specific world regions.

PJ Asian (specifically East and Southeast)

PK Indian and Middle Eastern

PL Africa and Oceania

PQ French

PR British, Canadian, and some former British territories

PS American

PT German

If the Thompson Library Does Not Have a Book You Need

We have two options for getting a book you need that we don't have in our collection:

First: you can check to see if it is available on the Ann Arbor campus by changing the "Search in" box in the Library Catalog to "UM-Ann Arbor Libraries." If it is available there, you can request that it be sent here for you to check out using Get This.

If it's not available in Ann Arbor you can place an Interlibrary Loan request. This means that the book will come from a participating library elsewhere in the United States.

Links to further information and instructions on how to use these services are provided below.