Every contributor role available in Shelvd — from Author to Woodcutter — with definitions and guidance on when to use each one.
What Are MARC Relator Codes?
MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) relator codes are a standardized vocabulary for describing the relationship between a person and a work. Instead of "this person was involved somehow," they specify how: author, editor, translator, illustrator, engraver, binder, former owner, and 62 other precisely defined roles.
Shelvd uses 69 of these codes — enough to describe every meaningful relationship a person can have with a book, without venturing into the truly exotic (MARC defines over 250 codes; most of the extras are for film, music, and cartography).
Primary Creative Roles
Author (aut)
The person who wrote the text. The default role and the one you'll use most often. When in doubt, it's the author.
Co-Author
Joint authorship. Use when two or more people wrote the text together (as opposed to one writing and the other editing).
Editor (edt)
Prepared the text for publication: selecting, arranging, revising. The person who shaped the work without writing it. Anthology editors, critical edition editors, series editors.
Compiler (com)
Assembled content from various sources into a single work. Similar to editor, but the emphasis is on selection rather than revision.
Contributor (ctb)
A catch-all for people who contributed to the work but don't fit a more specific role. Use sparingly — a more specific role is almost always better.
Translation & Adaptation
Translator (trl)
Rendered the text from one language to another. One of the most important roles in international publishing and often under-credited.
Adapter (adp)
Modified the work for a different audience, format, or medium. A children's version of a classic, a screenplay based on a novel.
Visual & Design Roles
Illustrator (ill)
Created the illustrations. Covers everything from woodcuts to watercolors to digital illustrations.
Engraver (egr)
Made engravings for the book. More specific than illustrator — the engraver may have been reproducing someone else's design.
Etcher (etr)
Made etchings for the book. A distinct technique from engraving: acid bites the lines instead of a burin cutting them.
Woodcutter (wdc)
Cut the woodblocks for woodcut illustrations. A specialized craft, especially important in early printed books and the Arts & Crafts movement.
Lithographer (ltg)
Made the lithographic plates. Important for 19th-century illustrated books and art reproductions.
Cartographer (ctg)
Made the maps. Essential for atlases, travel books, and any work with geographic content.
Photographer (pht)
Took the photographs. Increasingly important from the 1840s onward.
Book Designer (bkd)
Designed the physical book: layout, typography, cover design. Especially important for fine press and artist's books.
Cover Designer (cov)
Designed the cover or dust jacket specifically. In modern publishing, the cover designer is often credited separately.
Calligrapher (cll)
Wrote the text by hand. Relevant for manuscripts, fine press books with calligraphic elements, and limited editions.
Production Roles
Printer (prt)
The person or firm that physically printed the book. Distinct from the publisher (who commissioned and distributed it). Critical for early printed books where the printer was the most important figure.
Publisher (pbl)
Commissioned, financed, and distributed the work. In early printing, the publisher and printer were often the same person.
Bookseller (bsl)
Sold the book. In the 17th and 18th centuries, booksellers were often the publishers.
Bookbinder (bnd)
Bound the book. For hand-bound books, the binder is a creator — their work has artistic and monetary value.
Type Designer (tyd)
Designed the typeface used in the book. Relevant for fine press editions and typographic history.
Paper Maker (ppm)
Made the paper. Relevant for handmade paper in fine press and historical editions.
Compositor (cmt)
Set the type. In letterpress printing, the compositor arranged individual pieces of type to create each page.
Scholarly & Editorial Roles
Author of Introduction (aui)
Wrote the introduction or preface. A common role in scholarly editions and reissues.
Author of Foreword
Wrote the foreword — typically a well-known figure lending credibility or context.
Author of Afterword (aft)
Wrote the afterword, epilogue, or postscript.
Commentator (cmm)
Wrote commentary or annotations on the text.
Annotator (ann)
Added annotations — a specific form of commentary, usually in footnotes or marginalia.
Bibliographic Antecedent (ant)
The author of the work that this one is based on. If someone writes a novel based on a fairy tale, the original fairy tale's author is the bibliographic antecedent.
Writer of Added Text (wat)
Wrote supplementary text that accompanies the main work.
Provenance & Ownership Roles
Former Owner (fmo)
Previously owned this specific copy. One of the most important provenance roles. A former owner isn't a contributor to the work — they're a contributor to the copy's history.
Dedicatee (dte)
The person to whom the work is dedicated. "For my long-suffering spouse" — that person.
Inscriber (ins)
Wrote an inscription in this copy. May be the author (presentation copy) or a previous owner.
Donor (dnr)
Gave this copy to an institution or collection. Relevant for books with "Gift of..." bookplates.
Collector (col)
The person who assembled the collection this book was part of. Important for provenance chains.
Signer (sgn)
Signed the book. More general than "author" — could be anyone who added a signature.
Honoree (hnr)
The person honored by the work (as in a Festschrift or memorial volume).
Patron (pat)
The person or organization that funded the work's creation. Important for commissioned works and private press editions.
Performance & Oral Roles
Narrator (nrt)
For audiobooks and oral traditions: the person who reads or tells the text.
Reader (rdr)
Similar to narrator but in a less formal context.
Speaker (spk)
The person who delivered the content as a speech (for published speeches).
Curatorial & Institutional Roles
Curator (cur)
Organized an exhibition or collection that the book catalogs.
Organizer (org)
Organized the event or project that the book documents.
Sponsor (spn)
Provided financial support for the publication.
Issuing Body (isb)
The organization responsible for issuing the work (often for government publications, reports, standards).
Using Roles in Shelvd
When adding a contributor on the add or edit form:
- Enter the name in "Last, First" format (e.g., "Morris, William")
- Select the role from the dropdown
- Add multiple contributors — a book can have as many contributors as needed, each with a different role
The role appears in exports, ISBD catalog entries, and the book detail page. The more specific the role, the more useful the data.
Common Combinations
- Novel: Author + (sometimes) Translator, Illustrator
- Critical edition: Author + Editor + Author of Introduction
- Fine press book: Author + Printer + Illustrator + Bookbinder + Type Designer
- Anthology: Editor + multiple Authors (as contributors)
- Translation: Author + Translator + (sometimes) Author of Introduction
See also: Contributors · Glossary · The Title Page