Until 1706 the great majority of the University Library’s books were shelves fore-edge out, as was the usual way. The titles were written (usually in abbreviated form) on the fore-edge of the pages, and spine titles, in the familiar position, were uncommon. 20,000 letters and numbers were printed and affixed to the spines of the books, many of which still survive. After the Royal Library was given the classification A-Z, duplicating those books already present, asterisks were added to the earlier books to distinguish them. The class ‘Stars’ remains, with the Royal Library, the historic heart of the Library’s holdings.