diff --git a/src/modules/browse/components/ShelfBrowseCarousel/index.js b/src/modules/browse/components/ShelfBrowseCarousel/index.js
index 4d9dd305..2c64e9df 100644
--- a/src/modules/browse/components/ShelfBrowseCarousel/index.js
+++ b/src/modules/browse/components/ShelfBrowseCarousel/index.js
@@ -140,10 +140,12 @@ const ShelfBrowseCarousel = ({ callNumber, items, itemsPerPage, setButtonAction,
                   <>
                     <dt className='visually-hidden'>Book cover</dt>
                     <dd className='item-term-book_cover'>
-                      <ImagePlaceholder
-                        src={bookCover(item)}
-                        alt={`The cover of ${item.title}`}
-                        index={trueIndex}
+                      <ImagePlaceholder {...{
+                        alt: `The cover of ${item.title}`,
+                        altPlaceholder: `Placeholder image for ${item.title}`,
+                        index: trueIndex,
+                        src: bookCover(item)
+                      }}
                       />
                     </dd>
                   </>
diff --git a/src/modules/reusable/components/ImagePlaceholder/index.js b/src/modules/reusable/components/ImagePlaceholder/index.js
index b3179c2a..5c305e00 100644
--- a/src/modules/reusable/components/ImagePlaceholder/index.js
+++ b/src/modules/reusable/components/ImagePlaceholder/index.js
@@ -2,31 +2,33 @@ import './styles.css';
 import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 
-const ImagePlaceholder = ({ alt, index, src, ...rest }) => {
-  const [imageState, setImageState] = useState('loading');
+const ImagePlaceholder = ({ alt = '', altPlaceholder = '', index = 0, src = '', ...rest }) => {
+  const [imgState, setImgState] = useState('loading');
   const [imgSrc, setImgSrc] = useState(src);
+  const [imgAlt, setImgAlt] = useState(alt);
 
   const handleImageLoad = () => {
-    setImageState('settled');
+    setImgState('settled');
   };
 
   const handleImageError = () => {
     // Choosing between 15 placeholder images based on the index's remainder
     setImgSrc(`/placeholders/placeholder-${index % 15}.svg`);
-    setImageState('settled');
+    setImgState('settled');
+    setImgAlt(altPlaceholder);
   };
 
   return (
     <>
       <img
         src={imgSrc}
-        alt={alt}
+        alt={imgAlt}
         onLoad={handleImageLoad}
         onError={handleImageError}
-        style={{ display: imageState === 'settled' ? 'block' : 'none' }}
+        style={{ display: imgState === 'settled' ? 'block' : 'none' }}
       />
 
-      {imageState === 'loading' && (
+      {imgState === 'loading' && (
         <div
           className='image-placeholder placeholder margin-bottom__none'
           {...rest}
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ const ImagePlaceholder = ({ alt, index, src, ...rest }) => {
 
 ImagePlaceholder.propTypes = {
   alt: PropTypes.string,
+  altPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
   index: PropTypes.number,
   src: PropTypes.string
 };