Shakespeare collection

This article is about editions of Shakespeare in the Folger collections. For related articles, see Shakespeare collection (disambiguation).

The Shakespeare collection includes editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems from his lifetime to the present day, with 178 Quarto editions (as recorded in ESTC, for further information see Shakespeare Quartos at the Folger), 82 First Folios (for more information see First Folios at the Folger), 58 Second Folios, 23 Third Folios, and 39 Fourth Folios as the foundation.

Arrangement

• Pre-1641 English editions have STC call numbers
• English editions published between 1641 and 1700 acquired before the establishment of the accession shelves have Wing call numbers.
• Most translations and post-1700 editions have Sh.Col. call numbers (pronounced shuh-CALL, and short for "Shakespeare Collection"). Generally speaking, closed-stacks Shakespeare editions acquired before 2012 have the suffix "Sh.Col." after a Library of Congress-style call number. Closed-stacks Shakespeare editions acquired after 2012 have "Sh.Col." as a prefix to an accession-number-based call number.
• Some illustrated and extra-illustrated editions have ART Vol. call numbers
• Shakespeare editions in the open stacks have ordinary Library of Congress classification call numbers

Cataloging

Shakespeare editions from 1830 and earlier are cataloged according to the same specialized instructions as other hand-press era books in the Folger collection. Post-1830 editions are cataloged according to the same basic standard as other machine-press era books, but with enhancements that records for non-Shakespeare modern materials do not routinely receive.

Not all of the Shakespeare collection is in Hamnet yet:

• Pre-1701 English editions were recataloged for Hamnet as part of the 1996–2003 Mellon and NEH grant projects
• Cards for post-1800 items with Sh.Col. call numbers were originally part of the modern materials retrospective conversion contracted with Retro Link Associates (now Backstage Library Works), but English editions were removed from recon because of quality concerns, so were not added to Hamnet at that time.
• Post-1700 English editions, with the exception of school series, were recataloged for Hamnet as part of the Cataloging and Preserving the Shakespeare Collection, an NEH grant project begun in 2011.
• Translations of Shakespeare editions were included in the recon project and are therefore represented in some form in Hamnet; as of November 2015, many translations have been fully recataloged, particularly those printed in Latin alphabets.
• Most school series are represented on cards only.