Skip to Main Content

Gender & Sexuality Studies: Books

New Books

Finding Books & eBooks

UMU Catalog Search

When searching for LGBTQ+  or women's studies resources, you may need to utilize a variety of search strategies. Here are some search words and phrases that may help you find useful resources. Some of the search terms may be outdated or offensive. Please know that the Library of Congress is always working to update and change these, but the process takes time: asexual people, bisexuality, Gay, gender expression, gender identity, homosexuality, intersex people, lesbian, Queer, sex customs, sexual orientation, sexuality, transgender and transsexual. For more resources try Homosaurus.

Subject Search Terms

It is impossible for a library to own every book, journal, video, article, etc. that a campus community would want to read or watch, but interlibrary loan fills that void. We participate with OhioLINK for a lot of our interlibrary loan items which provides us with intrastate borrowing and lending.

Finding Books

How do you find gender identity or women studies books in the library? Start with the item's location and call number.

The location tells you where the item is located in the library. Our most common locations are:

  • Main Books: New 3rd Floor, Old 3rd Floor, Old 2nd Floor, and Ground Floor (depends on the call number)
  • Curriculum Resource Center: Old 3rd Floor
  • Oversize: Ground Floor
  • Reference: Old 2nd Floor
  • Reference Oversize: Ground Floor

Call numbers tell you where the item is located as well as its subject. The University Library uses the Dewey Decimal System to arrange all library items.

  • 305.4: Women - social aspects
  • 306.76: Sexual orientation
  • 306.762: Asexuality
  • 306.764: Heterosexuality
  • 306.765: Bisexuality
  • 306.766: Homosexuality
  • 306.7662: Male homosexuality (gay men)
  • 306.7663: Lesbianism
  • 306.768: Transgenderism, intersexuality
  • 306.7681: Transsexualism
  • 323.34: Women - civil and human rights
  • 324.3:  Women - political organizations
  • 324.623:  Women - suffrage
  • 346.0134:  Women - legal status
  • 355.4082:  Women in combat
  • 809.933: Women - literature - history and criticism
  • 920.921:  Biographies of women

Library of Congress Classification (more information)

  • HQ1-HQ2030.7: Women's and Gender Studies
  • HQ12-HQ2030.7: LGBTQIA+ Studies 
  • HQ1075-1075.5: Sex Roles
  • HQ1088-HQ2030.7: Men. Women. Feminism.
  • HQ1121-HQ1154: History of Women
  • HQ1180-HQ1190: Feminist Theory
  • HQ1201-HQ1229: General works
  • PQ155.S48: Gender identity in Literature (breaks out further by country)

When you are in the shelves, look at the neighboring items because you might find other books that fit your needs as well.