TopThe board across the top; the sides join into it.
BackA thin panel fitted into the back of the case.
Fixed shelfA shelf fastened to the sides; it helps hold the case firm.
SidesThe two upright boards that carry the shelves.
Adjustable shelfIt rests on pins, so it can be moved up or down.
BottomThe lowest board of the case, joined into the sides.
Shelf pinsSmall pegs set in holes in the sides to hold a shelf.
Wall shelf 2
ShelfThe flat board that holds the things.
BracketAn L-shaped support fixed to the wall under a shelf.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, Shelf (storage), Shelf support, Bookcase and Adjustable shelving, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelf_(storage) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelf_support, text only (a shelf held on brackets; the L-shaped shelf support called a shelf bracket; shelf pins and shelf support pegs; shelves fixed or adjustable in a bookcase). (2) Charles G. Wheeler, Woodworking for Beginners (1900), https://archive.org/details/woodworkingforbe00whee, the chapter on furniture and the entry Shelves (the sides grooved into the top and the bottom shelf into the sides; the back fitted in a rabbet; shelves fastened in or movable; pins that fit in a series of holes; brackets screwed under a shelf). (3) William Noyes, Handwork in Wood (1910), https://archive.org/details/handworkinwood20846gut (wall brackets: the shelf, the support and the back; wall book-shelves: shelf, sides and back). (4) H. H. Windsor, Mission Furniture: How to Make It, Part 2 (1910), https://archive.org/details/missionfurniture23991gut, the bookcase (top, sides, bottom, shelves, backing, and holes bored in the sides for the wooden pegs which hold up the shelves). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's bookcase or bracket, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a shelf depend on what holds it up. In a bookcase the shelves sit between two sides, some fixed and some on shelf pins. On a wall, the shelf rests on brackets.
Read the full guide
A bookcase
Numbers 1 to 7. The top, the sides, the bottom and the back make the case. One shelf is fixed. The other two are adjustable and rest on shelf pins, shown in the close-up box.
A wall shelf
Numbers 8 and 9. The shelf is the board, and a bracket under each end holds it to the wall.
To move an adjustable shelf, lift it out, put its four pins in another row of holes and set it back.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a bookshelf called?
A bookcase has two sides, a top, a bottom and a back, with shelves between the sides. A shelf may be fixed to the sides or adjustable, resting on shelf pins set in rows of holes.
What are the pegs that hold up a shelf called?
Shelf pins, also called shelf supports or shelf pegs. They plug into holes bored in the sides of the case, and the shelf rests on them. Moving the pins to other holes changes the height of the shelf.
What is the support under a wall shelf called?
A bracket, or shelf bracket. The common kind is L-shaped: one arm is fixed to the wall and the other sits under the shelf.
What is the difference between a fixed shelf and an adjustable shelf?
A fixed shelf is fastened to the sides and helps hold the case firm. An adjustable shelf only rests on its supports, so it can be lifted out and set at another height.