[2] In taxonomic research it is still important to reference the works of Carl Linnaeus, as he was the first to classify and describe so many species of plants and animals.
The creation of an online union catalogue of Linnaean material required that there was a common link between items held at different institutions.
Using the Soulsby number to identify publications allows catalogue records to be replicated by participating institutions and then altered with copy-specific details.
[4] This requires assigning new or “Post Soulsby” numbers to material published from 1931 onwards or to items unlisted prior to 1931.
[4] The assignment and recording of the Post Soulsby Number sequence is maintained by the Linnaeus Link Co-ordinator at the Linnean Society of London.