Humanities & Social Sciences

The State Library of Victoria's Humanities & Social Sciences Collection draws together a wide range of materials from the fields of psychology, sociology, religion, philosophy, economics, language, linguistics, geography, literature and history.

What's in the Humanities & Social Sciences Collection?

Established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the collection includes significant British and European history resources. In particular, there are extensive materials relating to World War I, World War II, 'Raj' India, 19th century Egyptology, and the Holocaust of the 1930s and 1940s. Early works on the theoretical development of psychology, sociology and economics are also well represented along with strong collections on popular culture, social welfare and services.

The Library also has a large collection of materials relating to the writing, analysis, and history of literature. This includes a broad selection of novels that have received widespread critical acclaim or attracted literary awards. Materials relating to the study and practice of religion are another feature of the collection.

How do I access material in this collection?

A selection of items from the Humanities & Social Sciences Collection is available in the Redmond Barry Reading Room.