Locating material in ArchivesSpace : call numbers and shelving categories

 See also:  Printing Labels for a manuscript collection

The most important change in Technical Services recently has been our transition to ArchivesSpace to maintain finding aids, and the physical separation of single items from collection material in the stacks. Single items are still cataloged and shelved sequentially as they always were, though they reside in separate ranges. But collection material (mostly in boxes) are given call numbers without prefixes, and are stored according to a shelf numbering system enumerated in ArchivesSpace, which includes ranges, bays, and shelves that are physically labeled. Thus, single items are located first by their prefix, and then sequentially. All of the retrieval information resides in the call number. But for manuscript collections retrieval depends on the particular Building, Floor level, range, bay and shelf number, which gets printed on the call slip. Returning this material to its exact location is crucial to the ability to locate the items. Taking the time to understand how to locate items using ArchivesSpace and AEON is a smart thing to do.

(*for detailed information, see ArchivesSpace)

II. Navigating the current system

Using ArchivesSpace to locate material

Using AEON to locate material

II. Understanding manuscript call numbers

Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection  (single items and legacy collections) 

Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection  (IN DETAIL)

Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (single items and legacy collections)

*note: manuscript collections were categorized in this way prior to ArchivesSpace, and were interfiled with single items. New box and volume labels are being generated for all such pre-existing collections with call numbers that OMIT the prefixes, f, b, pf, etc. Incoming collections are now being shelved separately in newly established ranges. This is known as CONTAINER MANAGEMENT. A project, and now a regular feature of the end processing work flow.

MS = upright storage less than 28 cm. height (also called GEN)
(distinct shelving area in Houghton and HTC): mostly upright volumes; occasional upright document box.*

*(NOTE: upright document boxes (collections only - not single items) are now stored in ranges configured for Paige boxes, rather than with MS (GEN), to avoid damaging any adjacent volumes with their metal edges. Document boxes help fill out the space left by the 2-Paige Box limit of the shelves.)

fMS = upright storage 28 cm. height/length or more*

*(NOTE: We used to shelf all "fMS" upright volumes only on the bottom shelves in Houghton and HTC because the 28 cm. or more requirement applied to both height and length, and all the bottom shelves were continuous/deeper, and taller than the shelves above. So volumes that were 28 cm. or more in ANY direction would be shelved on bottom shelves, even items that were less than 28 cm in height. Now all items 28 cm. height or more are shelved in separate ranges, and items less than 28 cm height, but more than 28 cm. length are shelved with MS (or GEN) items. This unfortunately allows the longer items to sometimes protrude into the walking space between ranges. Our current solution is to assess these longer items for being shelved in a box on their spines, so they don't protrude, or consider shelving them flat as "pf" in the usual "pf" ranges.

bMS = boxed manuscript, flat storage, less than 13.5 cm. tall
(separate shelving area of Houghton sub-basement only): standard-size flat manuscript boxes
bMS = boxed manuscript, flat storage, less than 13.5 cm. tall
(shelved at HD): standard-size flat manuscript boxes.
bMS = boxed manuscript, upright document box, taller than 13.5 cm, height limited by HD specifications.
(shelved at HD): all sizes of upright document box and Paige boxes.
dbMS = was used ONLY in HTC indicating ranges full of exclusively regular height document boxes (NO LONGER USED because it just duplicates other ranges that can accept different boxes of the same height, like Paige boxes).
bMS = boxed manuscript, flat storage, less than 13.5 cm. tall
(distinct shelving area of HTC, lower level): standard-size flat manuscript boxes; upright document boxes, & pfMS boxes of all sizes--all shelved together on continually adjusted shelving)
pfMS = flat box, less than 13.5 cm. tall, but wider and longer than standard size flat box
(in a separate pf area of Houghton): several different pf sizes all shelved together
pfMS = flat box, less than 13.5 cm. tall, but wider and longer than standard size flat box
(shelved in bMS area of Harvard Theatre Collection): several different pf sizes all shelved together with the standard-size flat box.
pfMS = large volumes, over 28 cm., that must be stored flat, but are not in a box are also shelved in the pf area of Houghton along with boxed pf items.
pfMS = large volumes, over 28 cm., stored upright on bottom shelves (only in HTC stacks).
There are other places in the library where some items are shelved, but this is indicated by a word or phrase that follows the call number. See below.
PFC = PF Cabinets on basement. This is storage for oversize items. There are 2 flat files, small black and large white.(lots of Typ stored here, but other things as well).
PFD = Case Range-half drawer (HTC flat files in Pusey). Folder labels read "pfMS" with "drawer" several spaces from end of call number.
PPF = Case Range-full drawer (HTC flat files in Pusey). Folder labels read "pfMS" with "drawer" several spaces from end of call number.
TRC = Most manuscript items in the Theodore Roosevelt collection area of the Houghton stacks. [This is being phased out. Collections are now shelved like everything else].
zMS = anything in the z closet now has this prefix.

Shelving categories at Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection (IN DETAIL)

UPRIGHT STORAGE INDICATOR: MS
Items that are shelved upright have no prefix. Their call number begins with "MS" [manuscript]. This includes mostly volumes, and, occasionally, upright document boxes. Shelves for this designation are 31 cm. in P&GA stacks on basement, so items need to be 30.5 cm. or less. The average shelf height for mss. on sub-basement Pusey, is 33.5 cm, so items need to be 33 cm. or less. or less. However, shelves on sub-basement in Pusey for MS Eng, MS Ger, and MS Port are 33 cm. And shelves for MS Am, MS Ital, and MS Lat are 34 cm. So there is a range for all MS items of between 31 - 34 cm. shelf height. It is helpful to keep a piece of card stock that records the various height ranges for different categories. The manuscript end-processor will note changes in storage indicators that occur during end-processing and provide updates for the cataloger. The official size for MS has recently been set at 28 cm. for all future cataloging and shelving purposes.
Since 31 cm. is the exact size of our most commonly used pre-fab, when a tab is added to these pre-fabs, they will not fit on the P&GA shelves, which are also exactly 31cm. So these items must be designated "fMS" and shelved in the "fMS" section of the P&GA stacks. In most other areas of the stacks, the 31cm tall pre-fabs are designated "MS" because they do fit on the shelves after a tab is added. Also, unlike the general Houghton stacks on sub-basement in Pusey, P&GA does not put "f" sized upright items along the bottom shelves, but segregates them in an entire small section at the end of their "MS" storage.
Upright document boxes are 26.5 cm. tall--largest ones are 32 cm. tall. They would fit on most "MS" shelves but are seldom designated "MS" because "MS" is mainly storage for upright volumes rather than boxed collections. The word "boxed" has a double meaning, which can be confusing. A boxed collection is stored in various sizes and shapes of boxes that are purchased in mostly standard sizes from an archival supply vendor. A boxed single item manuscript refers usually to a volume that has had a custom-made clamshell type box and is normally shelved upright. The vendor we use that does such custom work is called "CMI". We therefore call these "cmi boxes". More detail is provided in a section below.
There can also be confusion when referring to the Pusey Stacks because of the two separate areas which are used for shelving Houghton and Harvard Theatre Collection material. The manuscript stacks in Pusey is entered through Houghton's sub-basement, and houses non-Theatre Collection material. The Harvard Theatre Collection has two levels of stack space and is entered via the basement level of Houghton. Though technically both Houghton and the Theatre collection have stack space in Pusey, they are two distinct areas. We don't currently have terminology that makes that distinction. Large manuscript collections waiting for end-processing are usually kept in the Houghton manuscript stacks in aisle Pusey-4,5 called the "collections holding area" on the sub-basement.

UPRIGHT STORAGE INDICATOR: fMS
The prefix "f" stands for folio, but for purposes of shelving, this simply means all items that are shelved upright, but are taller than 28 cm. They are kept generally along the bottom shelves continuously throughout the stacks. Though occasionally shelving is adjusted to create separate set of shelves for them.
"fMS" also designates an item shelved upright whose width (rather than height) exceeds the width of the regular "MS" shelves. This happens only occasionally. In this instance items are shelved along with all the other fMS items in order of call number.
The height of the fMS shelves varies. In the P&GA Houghton basement it is generally 3 contiguous shelves of 48.5 cm. with the bottom shelf 46 cm. In the Pusey sub-basement manuscript stacks, however, it is most often about 48.5 cm., but sometimes 49.5 cm. We do not generally have volumes bigger than this. When we do, sometimes they are extremely heavy, fragile, with lots of metal hardware in the binding that would do damage if shelved vertically. So anything taller than 49.5 would shelve flat and be called "pfMS", or "portfolio manuscript", and shelved in the "pf" area. As this was written, the official sizes of MS, fMS, and pfMS are being designated. MS is anything 28 cm. or less; fMS is anything larger than 28 cm. There are exceptions to this, however, in some of the special locations like the Keats Room, which does not have a separate area designated for "f"MS items.See SAMPLE BOOK (and rules) for labels and tabs.
(There is no manuscript category for anything larger than 49.5 to be shelved upright, except in the Theatre Collection. In other words, Houghton does not have a category of items called "pfMS" (horizontal) because there are no "pf" manuscript items that are ever shelved vertically).

UPRIGHT STORAGE INDICATOR:    FRAMED STORAGE  pfMS
This indicator applies only to Harvard Theatre Collection stacks on Pusey 1. A sample is:  FRAMED STORAGE  pfMS Thr 414.4 (14). More detailed location information is included in HOLLIS in public view. But not included on the labels, as it is subject to change.

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: bMS
At Houghton, the prefix "b" stands for boxed manuscripts that are shelved flat inside a standard-size clamshell box, or items shelved in a non-standard box size no taller than 13.5 cm. (the standard shelf height for boxed manuscripts).
An effort is made to use standard-sized or near standard-size boxes whenever practical. This effort could be enhanced by grouping like-sized items together before they are cataloged, and giving them consecutive call numbers. There could be more efforts along this line with single items. (For example, handcuffs with one call number could be housed with a medal, and a brooch of different call numbers. The label on the box would read: bMS Am 1200, bMS Am 1201, bMS 1202). Having them together in a standard box would make shelf moves easier. If items have already been given non-consecutive call numbers, however, it makes it impossible to shelve them together without a lot of annotating of records, etc. and more likely they will end up in separate odd-size boxes on the shelf. A drawback to this might be that the box would have to be opened up for shelf reading the barcode on each separate inner enclosure, and more than one record would have to be updated in the event that one of the manuscripts might need to be rehoused and stored elsewhere.
In the case of large collections, catalogers are sensitive to putting like-sized items together before they number them when possible, and make an effort to put odd-sized things at the end of the collection. Catalogs are annotated whenever an item is not shelved consecutively.
In the stacks, we try never to shelve one box on top of another as it causes confusion in keeping order and in re-shelving. We do this by having the shelves adjusted to 13.5 cm. height so that only a very thin, similarly-sized item could be placed on top of a box if need be. We try to break down materials into boxes that fit the standard size of the shelves whenever possible, so that it is rarely necessary to adjust shelving to fit something that is, say Paige box size, into a regular sequence of standard 13.5 cm. shelving.

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: pfMS
The prefix "pf" stands for portfolio, which for shelving purposes means items, usually in a box, that are shelved flat, like "bMS", but are too large to fit on the "bMS" shelves. They are shelved in a separate section from bMS, because shelving a great variety of boxes together makes for problems in maintaining proper sequence and in re-shelving. Here is where the logic of the indicators seems to break down, in that there is no "b" to indicate boxed. This does actually make sense, however, because there are many volumes that don't need to be in a box but are too big or fragile to be stored upright. Such items are shelved with the boxed flat "pf" items in Houghton on sub-basement.
In the "pf" area of Houghton, the shelves are tall enough to stack boxes and flat volumes directly on top of each another. As a result, "pf" items require more care to retrieve than regular boxed items where there is no stacking. The "pf" shelves are awkward, heavy, dangerous, sometimes impossible to adjust, which forces us to do more stacking of items than we would like.
Printing and Graphic Arts collections do not have a separate "pfMS" storage area. bMS Typ and pfMS Typ items are currently combined on the shelves because there was is no more space in the stacks. In fact all of the space for boxed P&GA items has been used up and the spillover area is on Houghton sub-basement, near the "book hospital".

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: pfMS (oversize) NO LONGER USED.
These are items that are in a folder only, and inside a metal drawer in a cabinet--thus far used only for Typ items on basement level at Houghton. (Before we decided to use "drawer" we just used "oversize", but this wording is being discussed). Folders receive a barcode if they are single items. The Theatre Collection also uses flat storage, but now uses a different indicator, see below.

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: PFD
Case Range-half drawer. These are items stored in a folder only, and inside a metal drawer in flat files on the 1st level of Pusey near the windows. PFD indicates that 20x24" folders are stored in two piles, side by side inside the drawer. Single items in a folder receive a barcode. All other items, including Autograph file, Catchalls or other large collections, do NOT need barcodes on their folders. An example of indicating location in records, and on labels, would be P1.C4.01.01.  P1 is floor. C4 is cabinet range 4. Then, .01 is first bay, .01 first drawer.

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: PPF
Case Range-full drawer. These are items stored in a folder only, and inside a metal drawer in flat files on the 1st level of Pusey in Theatre collection stacks,  near the windows. PPF indicates that 28x38" folders are stored in one pile inside the drawer. Single items in a folder receive a barcode. An example of indicating location in records, and on labels, would be P1.C4.01.01.  P1 is floor. C4 is cabinet range 4. Then, .01 is first bay, .01 first drawer.

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: pfMS (oversize)–OLD
Sometimes in a large collection (MOLLUS, for example) there are two sizes of standard pfMS boxes, each of which has a different range of of out-of-sequence items. In order to describe their location, we have called the larger ones (oversize). But presently we don't make any distinctions between the various sizes of pf in the cataloging. (Note: Manuscript box sizes are based on standard mat and frame sizes, and are readily available from vendors. The basic pf sizes are: 14x18", 16x20", 20x24", 22x28", 36x40")

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR: PFC
There is a black flat file on basement level where mostly TYP items are stored. However items with different call numbers that are too big to fit on any shelves are also occasionally found there.  The folder labels should read:  "pfMS..." with "shelved in pf cabinet" appearing below the call number or somewhere else on the label or folder.

FLAT STORAGE INDICATOR:  pf (horz)
Printed books collections are sometimes processed as manuscripts. Below is a sample call number:
pf (horz) Typ 970.78.6595 (1)

NEW STORAGE INDICATORS:

• PFD and PPF are new storage indicators that have been created to assist with the reorganization of the Theatre Collection stacks.
• TRC is a new indicator that will eventually be applied to all Theodore Roosevelt material, which is kept in a specific section of the Houghton stacks and is currently being reorganized.
• TRC-PH-?? or TRC-??-?? is an old indicator system that is still in use with Roosevelt material. "PH" means "photographs". The Roosevelt curator should be consulted for assistance in shelving materials until the reorganization is complete. The old indicator "ROOS" is also being discontinued.

Any other new indicators can be viewed in the item record in HOLLIS, in the drop-down screen next to "Collection". PFC refers to the set of black flat files, called PF Cabinet, found on basement level with Typ items. These indicators are all available in ALMA.  See SAMPLE BOOK for placement and orientation of labels and folders in drawers for PFD and PPF.

SPECIAL LOCATIONS

Some collections are housed in specially segregated areas within the stacks. Some are housed partially in the general stacks, and partially in public or non-public areas outside the general stacks. The call number is sometimes augmented according to the distinct area in which the collection is shelved, such as a room or closet. However, sometimes the call number can reflect the donor, author, or subject that categorizes them rather than the location. Special locations such as these are named below. A listing of all such locations and sample call numbers appear below. Examples of shelf tabs and labels may be found in the sample book, a 3-ring notebook, that is being gradually transferred to this manual. It is mainly volumes that appear in public places.

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Dickinson Room
This refers to shelves inside locked glass cabinets. Some printed materials using EDR on their labels may also be housed in the Dickinson Closet, rather than the locked glass cabinets.

• shelf tab = EDR...

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Dickinson Room
These items do not have "EDR" as part of their call number, as printed material does.

• shelf tab = MS Am 1118.3 for all items in the DIckinson room CLOSET. (no indicator of where they are shelved)
• box labels = MS Am 1118.9 (no indicator of where they are shelved)–see curator for details*
• label = DICKINSON ROOM has been placed above the accession number for pf artwork that has no call number, such as *2011M-137PF etc.

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Hyde Room
"MS Hyde" indicates a large group of items that were given to the Library by a donor whose surname was "Hyde".

Basically, Hyde collection boxed manuscripts and a few codex manuscripts are stored in the Locating material in ArchivesSpace : call numbers and shelving categories, which is a non-public area. Printed books and most bound manuscripts from this collection that will fit are shelved in locked glass cases in the Hyde room. The bound manuscripts all have a note in the finding aid to indicate that they go in case 9 in the Hyde Room. We do not make a distinction between "Hyde Room" and "Hyde Back Stacks" on the labels, Any future acquisitions will most likely be cataloged as "MS Eng" and be shelved on the sub-basement in Pusey with the regular collections

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Keats Room
For codes manuscripts, this refers to the shelves inside the locked glass cabinets. Boxed manuscripts are kept in the lower cabinets, which are solid wood. They are in 2 different locations. “bMS Eng…” that are shelved in Keats room are stored in cabinets to left of fireplace. The 2 cabinets to either side of the BAL room entrance contain “bMS Keats...” Here are some examples:

There are several styles of call number.

• label = MS Keats 7       *note: (shelf marks MS Keats 1 - MS Keats 7 are shelved on sub-basement in flat boxes, not marked "bMS" but shelved as bMS.)
  
  
• shelf tab = Keats Room
                      MS Keats 7
  
  
• shelf tab = MS Eng 1730 
                      Keats Collection
  
  
• shelf tab = Keats Room 
                      MS Eng 1641
  
  
• label for manuscript folder = Keats Room
   
• (below) KEATS ROOM is NOT part of the call number below, but the records will be annotated to show that as the location.

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Keats Room (bottom cupboards) - shelf tab = bMS Keats 10

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Lobby Items shelved in Lobby have the Lobby location at the top of their label or tab, then the call number directly beneath it. Roman numerals are capitalized.

• shelf tab = Lobby X.I.I MS Eng 1544 shelf tab = Lobby XI.4.7 fMS Lat 403

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Lowell room (shelves).
This refers to the shelves behind locked glass cabinets in the Lowell Room. There is no more space here. bMS Lowell continues in the Lowell closet, which is between the Hyde Room and the Printed Books cataloging workroom on second floor. There is no bMS Lowell in the Houghton sub-basement. shelf tab = MS Lowell 58

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Lowell room (cupboards) labels = Amy Lowell Autograph Collection (see also Sample Book of labels)

SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Richardson Room This refers to shelves inside locked glass cabinets and the lower cupboards as well. Mostly taller (fMS) items are kept in cupboards, but they are not designated as "fMS". shelf tab = MS Richardson 72

SPECIAL LOCATION : Hofer inner office "Typ" is the abbreviation for typography, which is the classification for items belonging to the Printing and Graphic Arts (P&GA) collections. Most "Typ" manuscript items are shelved on Houghton basement, continuing on sub-basement near the boxing area. But some are kept in the Hofer inner office, also on basement. There is no special indicator on the label for manuscript items shelved here. However, catalogers do note it in the records. The room houses mostly oversize, heavy items that are awkward to access.There is also a locked just outside the inner office in which objects (manuscripts) are kept, but with a printed books call number beginning with TypZ. Some of these items were once in the z-closet on the 2nd floor.

• shelf tab = MS Typ (no special room designation on the label)

SPECIAL LOCATION: Houghton basement = PFC 

• PFC = PF Cabinets on basement (lots of Typ stored here, but other things as well); there are 2 flat files, small black and large white. This is storage for oversize items.

SPECIAL LOCATION : Hyde back stacks This refers to a non-public area of storage where most of the MS Hyde manuscripts are shelved. But "Hyde back stacks" doesn't make its way onto labels as it is too wordy. There is at the moment no designated separate area for "pf" boxes in the Hyde back stacks. So, like Printing & Graphic Arts, and Theatre, all sizes of boxes are shelved together. The prefix "pf" is retained on the labels for large flat boxes with the notion that one day there may be enough space to segregate them. There are also some items in the Hyde Back Stacks which remain in frames that because of their bulk are kept on the bottom shelves in paige boxes without lids. These are also called "bMS Hyde" (since they are technically in boxes), but they are kept on bottom shelves because they are heavy and cumbersome. In the future some might be removed from the frames and stored differently.  See also SPECIAL LOCATION, public area : Hyde Room.

• labels = bMS Hyde 98
• shelf tab = MS Hyde 87
• box label for accessioned item = HYDE 2003JM-40 (pf)

SPECIAL LOCATION : Lowell closet This closet is across from the Z-closet on the 2^nd floor, and next to the Hyde Room. It is currently almost full.

• label = bMS Lowell 19

SPECIAL LOCATION : Printing & Graphic Arts Flat files on basement This refers to oversize flat file drawers.

• label = pfMS Typ 762 oversize

SPECIAL LOCATION : Pusey-(non-HTC) framed items hung at ends of aisles on sub-basement

• label = Hung in P44-45 *2002M-43 (pf)

SPECIAL LOCATION : Vault

• label  = bMS Thr 432 (40) SHELVED IN VAULT -  FRAGILE - Light Bulb

SPECIAL LOCATION : Z closet This has been a storage for uncataloged objects that are unusual and difficult to store. It is being gradually cataloged. A pair of Houdini's handcuffs were among the objects stored here. Items are findable only by call number. Many of these items still have a "green slip" carbon that shows a description and the accession number. The senior cataloger collects these slips once something has been cataloged.

• shelf tab = zMS Am XXXX  (However some items in the Z-closet have been removed and cataloged differently, though retaining their accession numbers which also contain a "Z", for example: 92Z-2)  Items that will remain in the z closet are currently being cataloged with the prefix "zMS".