Call Numbers for Classed Together Multi-Part Sets
Multi-volume works (monographs-in parts) that are part of classed-together series can have call numbers which are sometimes hard for patrons and some public services staff to interpret. This is particularly the case when each volume (published or unpublished) in the multi-volume set is a non-consecutively numbered volume in a series. Older cataloging practice called for putting the volume numbers in a 490 1b but tracing the series in an 830 field to reflect only the first numbered part, e.g.:
490 1b Queen’s papers in pure and applied mathematics ; |v no. <58, 61, 67, 76>
830 b0 Queen’s papers in pure and applied mathematics ; |v. no. 58, etc.
This practice has created some difficulties for people searching in Barton for a given volume of the series.
Today, LC puts any temporary volume numbers in angle brackets, and no longer uses “etc.”
In the Queens papers example above, the item records used to display like this:
1. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.58 etc. no. 58
2. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.58 etc. no. 61
3. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.58 etc. no. 67
4. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.58 etc. no. 76
These items now display as:
1. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.58
2. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.61
3. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.67
4. Science Stacks / QA3.K55 no.76
Formerly, the volume of the specific item was entered in the volume designation. Under the new procedure, in line with LC's, the volume of a specific item becomes part of the base call number. This means that for each item in the series, an individual HOL record is created using a call number that includes the series number:
852 0 $h QA3.K55 no.58
Apart from simplifying the display for patrons, this allows Preservation Services to create the call number labels automatically for these titles, since the call number in the item matches the call number as written by catalogers on the title page verso.