Multi-volume Sets

Definition: A monograph complete, or intended to be completed, in a finite number of separate parts, such as the Encyclopedia of Psychology, or Handbook of the American Frontier.

Cataloging requirements:

• 008 Field: Date Type should be “s” if all volumes were published in one year.
• Date 1 should be date of publication.
• Date Type should be “m” if volumes were published over a span of years.
• Date 1 should be beginning date of publication
• Date 2 should be ending date of publication if set is complete, or “9999” if set is incomplete. Note: The “9999” must be corrected when the set is completed.

020 Field: Give ISBN for the set and/or individual volumes.

260 Field:

• If the set is complete, close the imprint. Example:
260 Cambridge [Eng.] :|bUniversity Press,|c1957-79.

• If the set is incomplete, record the beginning publication date and leave the imprint open. Example: 260 Metuchen, N.J. :|bScarecrow Press,|c1987-

• If the set has various publishers, use the information on the first volume.

300 Field:
• If the set is complete, record the total volumes even if your library does not own every volume. Each library’s actual holdings will be reflected on item records. Example:
o 300 4 v. ;|c29 cm.

• If the volumes in a set are continuously paged, give the preliminary paging of the first volume only and the number of the last page of the last volume. Example:
o 300 4 v. (xxiv, 892 p.) ;|c29 cm.

• If the number of bibliographic volumes differs from the number of physical volumes, give the extant in the form, “# of bibliographic volumes in # of physical volumes.” Example:
o 300 8 v. in 5 |c29 cm.

• If the set is incomplete, the field remains open. Do not record the intended number of volumes if they have not yet been published. Example: 300 v. :|bill. (some col.) ;|c39 cm

• If the 300 field of an imported record contains this: v. <1-10,>, retain the v. and delete the bracketed information.

• If the volumes of a set vary in size, state the range from smallest to largest. Example:
o 300 5 v. : bill. ; |c22-27 cm.

505 Field: Multi-volume sets may have titles for the individual parts that are independent of the monograph title. If the volume titles are not distinctive and likely to be searched for by the library user, list them in a contents note. If the set is complete, the first indicator should be “0.”
Example: 505 0 v. 1. 1884-1933 — v. 2. 1933-1938

If the set is incomplete, the first indicator should be “1.” Example:

505 1 v. 1. The origins of technological civilization.–v. 2. The first stages of mechanization.–v. 3. The expansion of mechanization, 1725-1860 *(Remember to update the indicator when the set is completed.)

500 Field: Use to denote variations in publishers, editors or title. Example:
500 First volume originally published: London : J. Cape, 1995.
or 500 Imprint varies.
Example: 500 Vol. 2-4 edited by Michael Avi-Yonah and Ephraim Stern
or 500 Editors vary.
Example: 500 Vol. 1 has title: The comedy of Neil Simon.

Item Records: Use individual item records to show the library’s actual holdings if all volumes of a set are not owned. Example: c 090 AE 5 E363 2007
v v.2
b 36978001068415

c 090 AE 5 E363 2007
v v.4
b 36978001068431

Approved by Minerva Executive Committee, July 18, 2007