The Rayleigh Library: Online Catalogue and Classification Scheme

The online catalogue

Our catalogue is available via the online Union Catalogue link on the University Library Web pages. Any computer with Internet access can use the catalogue. You need to ensure that "Newton, catalogue for the libraries of the University" is selected, then "Departments and Faculties O-Z". After choosing Basic or Advanced Search, you then need to click on 'Apply Limits' to set the Rayleigh Library as the initial location.

Alternatively you can click on this link to access the Newton catalogue direct. The link provides access to the Departments and Faculties O-Z catalogue. If you wish to search for books and journals throughout all libraries of the University of Cambridge, click on this link for the Library Search on the University Library's Web site.

Please ask for help from the Library staff if you are unable to locate the items you are searching for.

The Classification Scheme

The library uses its own classification scheme for books within the subject field of Physics. Each book is given a code consisting of a 2 digit number denoting subject, a single letter which is usually the surname initial of the first author, and final sequence number. For example, "The Principles of Quantum Mechanics" by P.A.M.Dirac is classified as 60 D 1. The present classification numbers are given in the table:

00	General reference books	44	Electronics - general
01	Dictionaries	45	Electronic circuits, devices and microprocessors
02	Conference reports	46	Radio aerials, receivers and wave propagation
03	Safety	47	Servomechanisms - network theory
10	Laboratory techniques	50	Crystal structures, diffraction methods
11	Tables - physical	51	Crystal physics
12	Mathematics	52	Solid state physics
13	Computing and numerical methods	53	Metals and alloys
14	Tables - mathematical	54	Surface physics
15	Computational Physics	55	Nanoscience
20	Dictionaries and handbooks of physics
21	Theoretical physics - general, chaos and symmetry	60	Quantum mechanics
22	Relativity and gravitation	61	Atomic physics
23	Classical mechanics	62	Atomic and molecular prectra
24	Fluid dynamics	63	Nuclear physics
25	Properties of matter	64	Elementary particles
26	Elasticity	65	Atomic and nuclear instruments
27	Sound, waves, and vibration	66	Magnetic resonance
29	Energy	70	Astronomy and cosmology
30	Heat and thermodynamics	71	Geophysics and atmospheric physics
31	Statistical mechanics	72	Chemistry
32	Kinetic theory	73	Biophysics
33	Low temperature physics	80	General physics - popular, teaching, lectures
34	Light	81	Philosophy and sociology
35	Applied optics and photonics	82	History
38	Optimisation and control	83	Biographies, anniversary volumes
39	Stochastic process and image formation	84	Collected papers
40	Electricity and electromagnetism	85	Cavendish Laboratory papers
41	Magnetism	86	Business, accounting
42	Electron optics	99	Alternative physics
43	Plasma physics