A book is rarely the work of a single person. Behind every title page stands an author, certainly — but also an editor, a translator, a printer, an illustrator, a prefacer, a binder, an engraver, and occasionally a censor. Shelvd tracks all of them.
The Contributor System
Each book can have multiple contributors, and each contributor has a role. Shelvd uses the MARC Relator Code system — the same standard used by the Library of Congress and most national libraries worldwide. There are 69 roles available, from "Author" to "Woodcutter."
The "Last, First" Format
All contributor names in Shelvd follow the catalog standard: Last, First.
- William Shakespeare → Shakespeare, William
- Gabriel García Márquez → García Márquez, Gabriel
- J.R.R. Tolkien → Tolkien, J.R.R.
- Pliny the Elder → Plinius Secundus, Gaius (or just Pliny the Elder — single-name forms are accepted)
This isn't arbitrary. It's how catalogs sort, how searches work, and how the entire library world has organized names since the invention of the card catalog.
Shelvd parses names intelligently: it handles family prefixes (van, de, von, di, etc.), compound surnames, and single names. If you paste in "J.R.R. Tolkien," it will convert to "Tolkien, J.R.R." automatically.
Adding Contributors
On the Add or Edit page, scroll to the Contributors section. For each contributor:
- Type the name in "Last, First" format
- Select their role from the dropdown
- Click Add
Common roles you'll use most:
| Role | Code | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Author | aut | Wrote the text |
| Editor | edt | Edited, compiled, or selected the contents |
| Translator | trl | Translated the text |
| Illustrator | ill | Created illustrations |
| Printer | prt | Physically printed the book |
| Publisher | pbl | Published the book (useful for historical works) |
| Binder | bnd | Bound the book (for fine bindings) |
| Writer of preface | wpr | Wrote the preface or introduction |
| Engraver | egr | Created engravings |
| Book designer | bkd | Designed the book's layout and typography |
For the complete list of all 69 roles with definitions, see the MARC Relator Codes reference article.
Shared Contributors
Contributors in Shelvd are shared across your library. If you add "Shakespeare, William" as an author on one book, the same contributor record is available for other books. This keeps names consistent and makes contributor-based searching reliable.
Why Roles Matter
Knowing that someone is the translator rather than the author is bibliographically significant. A first edition of a novel lists the author. A translation lists both author and translator. An anthology may have an editor, twenty-five contributors, and a writer of the introduction.
These distinctions matter for provenance, for value, and for the historical record. A book signed by the translator is not the same as a book signed by the author — though both are interesting.