The Manuscript Society Criteria for Describing Manuscripts and Documents 3 presents standardized abbreviations (codes) and recommends their use. Most of the code letters are not new, but because of the extreme variability in their usage over the years, it became necessary to adopt a more precise set of criteria for all to use. Periods between abbreviations were eliminated (e.g. ALS instead of A.L.S.). Precise dictionary definitions for each code letter were applied (e.g. A = autographed). Autograph is a noun or transitive verb, not an adjective; thus ALS = autographed letter signed, not autograph letter signed).
