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3.18. Monograph Parts

Last Updated 03/17/2025

What are Monograph Parts?

Monograph parts (also referred to as Monographic Parts or simply Parts) are a way for Evergreen to differentiate and provide patrons with more flexibility when placing holds on multi-part items encompassed by one title/bibliographic record. Monograph parts should be used for every holdable/circulating subset of items that do not represent the totality of the bibliographic record — such as different discs that are circulated separately within a video or audio title record or different magazine issues on a serial title record. Monograph parts labels are shared by all libraries in the consortium and should utilize NC Cardinal's controlled vocabulary.

Why do we need Monograph Parts?

While call numbers often include information about which pieces the item represents, call number information can vary widely from one library to another and has no effect on hold fulfillment in Evergreen. Applying monograph parts to different items on a bibliographic record allows Evergreen to identify which items represent the same parts (regardless of owning library). A cataloger must apply a monograph parts label whenever published sets are split, such that barcoded items on the same bib record are for different subsets of material. This is particularly important if that record has holdable items and/or items owned by other libraries in the consortium. Because each monograph parts label specifies which items are the same, patrons can place title-level holds for the parts they want and Evergreen will target any of the available barcode items with that exact part label to fulfill a patron's hold.

When making a decision about whether monograph parts should be applied to an item record, consider it from the patron’s perspective. Assuming all items are holdable on a given bibliographic record (and applies even if they’re not):

If a patron places a title hold on that bibliographic record, are they going to get the same content no matter which item on the bib record fills their hold?

• If they will, then monograph parts should not be applied.
• If not, then monograph parts are required to distinguish the content that is not the entirety of materials encompassed by the MARC record.

DO NOT use monograph parts when:

• a single barcode includes all the pieces of a set (e.g. for kits or all discs in a television season)
• all barcoded items on a bibliographic record for a single title are the same thing (e.g. a book record where each copy is essentially identical to every other item on the bib). If desired, use item# to distinguish different copies owned by the library.
• cataloging a different format from what is described in the bibliographic record (in this case, find/import/create the correct bib record)

Keep in mind that changes to monograph parts can impact all libraries in the consortium:

• All libraries share the parts labels on a single bibliographic record.
• Editing, merging, & deleting parts labels can affect all items (regardless of owning library).
• Use controlled vocabulary (below) when naming monograph parts.
• Items not designated with the appropriate monograph part label can fill resource sharing holds for Complete Set (making for unhappy patrons and wasteful shipping).

Monograph Parts Labels and Impact on Holds

Since patrons can only place title level holds within the OPAC, if a cataloger splits a season into separate volume or item records, a patron's hold might be filled by any item on the bib record. So, if a full season of Game of Thrones on the same bibliographic record is separated into separate item records for the six individual discs without using monograph parts, the patron's hold could be filled by any of the discs at random. If the patron places a hold from home and gets disc 6 instead of disc 1, they will likely express frustration and complaints to staff. If a cataloger is dividing the materials cataloged on one bib record (e.g. a full season of Game of Thrones dvds) into smaller groups for circulation, the cataloger must use monograph parts. Patrons are then able to use monograph parts to place a hold on the specific disc or set of discs they want.

Catalogers from different library systems may choose to leave a season whole or separate into monograph parts. If separated, it is important that the labels used for the monograph parts on the bib record are the same. If catalogers use different labels for the same piece(s) of a set  — e.g. "DISC 1-3", "disc 1-3", "Disc 1-3" — the patron will only be able to choose one of these three parts. So, instead of three potential targets to fill the hold, the patron will only have one because the labels are different. It is important to follow the same controlled vocabulary throughout the consortium, so that patrons who place monograph part holds have the highest number of potential target copies. 

NC Cardinal Controlled Vocabulary for Monograph Parts Labels

At the 2018 Cataloging Forum, cataloging representatives agreed to use a controlled vocabulary for monograph parts labels. Patrons can only place title level holds on the entire bibliographic record in the OPAC. If a patron places a title hold on a bib record with parts cataloged separately without a monograph part label, the patron may not receive the particular item they want. If a library is splitting up items to circulate separately, the cataloger must assign each separate piece a monograph part label.

Evergreen treats each label as a separate entity for holds, so an item labeled as monograph part "Disc 1-3" is not the same as the one labeled "DISCS 1-3". This means that a patron who wants to watch discs 1, 2, and 3, will not have the full group of potential copies unless those items are labeled exactly the same. 

Controlled Vocabulary

Use the terminology on the item as the part label designation: Disc, Part, Volume (abbreviate to Vol.)

• Example:  For DVDs/Blu-rays/4K Ultra HD Blu-rays, only use the word "Disc" as the part label
• Use Arabic or Roman numerals, based on the information on the item
• Example: For “2017 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: Volume 2”, use “Vol. 2” as the monograph part label

Use mixed case (not lower case or all caps)

• Example: “Disc 1-3”, “Part 2”, "Vol. 7" (not "DISC 1-3" or "part 2")

Use label in the singular, even if there is more than one

• Example: “Disc 1-2”, “Disc 4-6” (not "Discs 1-2", or "Discs 4-6")

Use Name #-# [format label name][space][number][hyphen][number]; no spaces before or after

• Example: “Vol. 1-3” (not "Vol.  1  -  3")
• Example: “Disc 1-2” (not " Disc 1+2 ", or "Disc 1 & 2")

Abbreviate “volume” as “Vol.”

• Example: “Vol. 1”, “Vol. 2”, “Vol. 1-3” (not "volume 2" or "v.2")

If the bibliographic record has items that are monograph parts and items that are the full set, the full set will fall within the "Complete Set" designation by default in Evergreen. Libraries which circulate the entire set of items together should not create a monograph part (like “All Discs”). On records that include separated items, patrons can choose whether they want the full set default "Complete Set" or choose  monograph parts (such as Disc 1-2) for a subset of items. 

Monograph Parts Management

Retrieve a bibliographic record and click on Monograph Parts tab:

To add new a Monograph Parts label before adding new items: Click the New Monograph Part button. A pop up box will appear. Enter the label that you want to appear to the user in the catalog, and click Save. This will create a list of monograph parts from which you can choose when you create holdings.

 

Add holdings as usual, selecting the appropriate part label from the Part drop down menu. (You can also add a Part without creating the label first by simply typing the new label in the Part field.) Review your items, then click Save & Exit. The Holdings View tab now shows the new part information. These fields also appear in the OPAC View.

 

Merging Monograph Parts Labels

The monograph parts list for a bibliographic record may, over time, diverge from the proscribed format and controlled vocabulary, resulting in multiple labels for what are essentially the same item. For instance, Vol. 1 may have variants like V.1, Vol 1, or  Vol. 1 (leading space). Merging labels will allow cataloging staff to collapse the variants into one value using the correct controlled vocabulary term.

To merge Monograph Parts labels:

1. Click the checkbox for all items you wish to merge including the one you wish to prevail when done.
2. Click on the Merge Selected button. A pop-up window will list the selected items in a monospaced font, with blanks represented by a middle-dot character for more visibility.
3. Click on the item you wish to prevail.

The undesired part labels will be deleted, and any items that previously used those labels will now use the prevailing label.

Deleting Monograph Parts

In order to delete a monograph parts label, the parts designation may not be applied to any item on the bibliographic record.