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Film Studies Library Guide: Looking for Books

A guide to resources for Film Studies @ UCT Libraries

Finding Books

Material in the library is arranged according to the Dewey Classification system.  Material on film is generally found in the 790  range.    Film material is found in various parts of the libraries - the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library, Hiddingh Hall Library and the Special Collections.      

Use the link to PRIMO on the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library's home page to search for books (by author, title, subject or keyword) or journal titles.    

"Locations" gives the shelf number.  Prefixes indicate in which library the books will be found.  The prefixes DS and WH have been discontinued, but they will still be found on older material in PRIMO and on the spines of books.  Ignore these prefixes  -  only the shelf number is important.   However, where the prefix is WHJ or WHT, these are discrete collections of books for the Classroom Collection (WHJ), and School Textbooks (WHT) which are shelved separately.

The prefix R means the book is reference and cannot be taken out. 

BA indicates Special Collections and books can only be consulted or photocopied. Please ask the staff at the Information Desk in the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library to arrange access to Special Collections for you, if you are an undergraduate student. 

Government Publications Library keeps all official government documents.  Their holdings are indicated by the prefix G.  Some of their materials are available for loan.    

Useful Shelf Numbers

 

011.372

Bibliographies

302.234             

Motion pictures, radio, television as mass media

363 

Censorship

658.84              

Accounting (for film)

770

Photography

778.5               

Cinematography, video production and related activities

781.542            

Film Music

790                  

Recreational and performing arts

790.2092          

Individual Directors

791.4

Motion pictures, radio and television

791.43096

African Film

791.430968

South African film

791.436

Film genres

791.437

Screenplays

791.45

Television

808.066791

Scriptwriting

SEARCH TIP!!!!

To find books on cinema,  use these keywords: 

film* OR movie* OR "motion picture" OR cinema