The Butler Libraries use the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System. Unlike the Dewey Decimal System, the LC System is an alpha-numeric system, employing both letters and numbers. Every LC call number begins with a letter or letters which designate the general subject of the material. In the LC classcification system, theatre materials can be found in a variety of letter/number combinations. Below are some of the most frequently used designations for theatre resources.
| GT 500-GT 2289 | Costumes -- History/Description | PN 2131-PN 2145 | Ancient Theatre History | |
| GT 2290-GT 2341 | Hair, cosmetics | PN 2152-PN 2160 | Medieval theatre history | |
| GT 1747 | Masks | PN 2171-PN 2179 | Renaissance theatre history | |
| NA | Architecture | PN 2181-PN 2193 | Modern theatre history | |
| ND 2885 | Scene painting | PN 3035 | The Jewish Theatre | |
| NK 8802-NK8998 | Textile arts | PN 6110.5-PN6120 | Play collections | |
| PN 1600-PN 3307 | Drama | PR 621-PR 739 | English literature-drama | |
| PN 2068 | Make-up | PR 641-PR739 | History of drama literature | |
| PN 2091 .E4 | Electric devices; stage lighting | PS 330-PS 352 | American literature-drama | |
| PN 2091 .S8 | Stage settings; scenery | TS 545-TT850 | Costumes -- Construction | |
| PN 2061-PN 2071 | Art of acting | VIDEOS: | ||
| PN 2085-PN 2901 | The stage and accessories | PN 471-PR 5397 | Various plays and videos relating to theatre | |
| PN 2091 .S6 | Sound effects |
The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre by 
The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama by 
Comedy: A Geographic and Historical Guide by A Dictionary of Stage Directions in English Drama, 1580-1642 by A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of the Performer by 
Encyclopedia of Latin American Theater by The Facts on File Companion to American Drama by 
The Oxford Companion to American Theatre by 
The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre by 
The Oxford Dictionary of Plays by 
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance by 
The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance by 
Shakespeare's Language: A Glossary of Unfamiliar Words in His Plays and Poems by 
The A to Z of American Theater: Modernism by 
The A to Z of Chinese Theater by The A to Z of German Theater by The A to Z of Japanese Traditional Theatre by The A to Z of Postmodernist Literature and Theater by 
The A to Z of Russian Theater by 
Drury's Guide to Best Plays by The Oxford Dictionary of Plays by 
Actors' and Performers' Yearbook 2022
Acting Is Everything by 
The African American Theatre Directory, 1816-1960 by REMEMBER: Use WorldCat Discovery to find:
Be sure to use the limiters on the left-hand side of the screen to narrow down your results!
Also, REMEMBER: Work out some of your search strategy before going online! Think about your topic. Write down key terms, concepts, titles, and the names of key people whose thinking or work is relevant to your topic. Be sure to include synonyms of key terms and concepts. Also, consider important geographic locations and time periods (i.e., geographic and chronological limiters).
InterLibrary Loan (ILL)
If you find materials in WorldCat that Butler Libraries do not own, you can obtain these through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). This is a service that enables Butler students to have access to library resources NOT OWNED by the Butler Libraries. You make Interlibrary Loan requests directly from the catalog or a database by clicking the "Request" button. If there is no request button, log on to your Library Account.
From your account you can:
For all ILL questions contact Sarah Damery at 317-940-9677 or sdamery@butler.edu.
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