Shelfmark

How it is used

Call number is a related equivalent in many catalogues; include the repository because identifiers can recur.

Example sentences

1. The request failed because the old shelfmark had been replaced.

   Identifiers can change while the physical item remains the same.

2. Her citation pairs the shelfmark with the library's full name.

   Repository and identifier together make the item traceable.

Common collocations

• record a shelfmark
• manuscript shelfmark

Related terms

• archiveA collection of historical records kept for long-term use, or the building or institution where such records are stored and made available to researchers.
• manuscriptA book or document written by hand, especially one produced before printing became common; also an author's text before it is published.

More terms: Sources and Archives

• primary source
• secondary source
• bias
• census
• chronicle
• source criticism
• oral history
• inscription
• provenance
• archivist
• palaeography
• diplomatics