Motto on the left:
Habent sua fata codices in bibliothecas antiquas.
Ancient codices hold their own destiny within venerable libraries.
[Based on: Terentianus Maurus: De litteris, de syllabis, de metris; Verse 1286]
Motto on the right:
E profundis animae meae vox arcana insonuit: Tolle lege; tolle lege.
From the depths of my soul resounded a hidden voice:
Take, and read; take, and read!
[Based on: Augustinus, Aurelius: Confessions; Book VIII, Chapter 12, Section 29] |
Our shelfmark system:
Part One: Format:
- [car]: Stands for "Carta", i.e., everything that falls under the "Maps" category: maps, folding plans.
- [cod]: Stands for "Codex", i.e., the "normal" book format, consisting of multiple sheets, which in turn contain multiple pages (recto and verso).
- [fich]: Stands for "(Micro-)Fiche", i.e., an old media carrier in the corresponding format of the same name (currently not in the library's holdings).
- [fol]: Stands for "Folio", i.e., a complete book (codex) page.
- [frag]: Stands for "Fragmentum", i.e., a fragment of a page, an excerpt, but not a complete book (codex) page.
- [img]: Stands for "Imago", i.e., an illustration, a picture, an image, a sketch, or a plate.
- [rot]: Stands for "Rotulus", a scroll (currently not in the library's holdings).
Part Two: Type:
- [imp]: Stands for "imprimitur"—meaning "printed." These are standard printed works from after 1500, also known as "post-incunabula."
- [inc]: Stands for "incunabula"—early printed books from the period before 1500
(currently only one folio is in the collection, but no complete codex).
- [man]: Stands for "manualis"—meaning "handwritten." This category covers manuscripts from any time period.
- [mod]: Stands for "modernus"—a printed work from after 1800 (modern prints from the industrial age). Holdings of more recent printed works have not yet been cataloged; they will become available soon.
Part Three: Shelfmark ID:
A sequential number that differs depending on whether the item is a printed work or a manuscript. Manuscripts and printed works have separate sequential numbering systems, reflecting the distinction (separation) made in the catalog between the two. If a single shelfmark or title comprises multiple parts (e.g., within a series), these are designated by letters (a–z) appended to the shelfmark number, with the first part designated by the letter "a." If a title exists in duplicate in the library, a suffix (e.g., “_I”, “_II”, etc.) is appended to the call number—specifically, an underscore followed by the Roman numeral indicating the specific copy. |
