Visualization of Analytical Bibliographic Data in PrimoVE.: Correct Sorting of Parts
A multi-part resource (eg: a sketchbook containing 200 drawings) is catalogued in MARC 773 (host/item relationship). PrimoVE ought to sort and display the component parts using $$g and $$q. Currently PrimoVE fails to do this in the correct numerical order. Rather, the presentation is alphabetical which is useless for component-items organized by their part or page number. There was a recent ideas exchange issue raised on this very topic, which was “solved” by providing the aforementioned “alphabetical solution”. However, a NUMERICAL visualization has much more value in Discovery for patrons who are interested in locating an item as part of a host (the drawing on page number 12 of a sketch book, for example). This is a frequent and conventional library requirement for example in Special Collections communities, as it reflects accurately the sequential order within an actual work or a manifestation.
Currently (SEE SCREENSHOT BELOW) the user sees this rather wild presentation in PrimoVE (the resource is the sketch-book of 200 drawings cited above).
Another example from the world of monographs is a collection of Brecht’s works: currently looking like this in PrimoVE:
https://basel.swisscovery.org/permalink/41SLSP_UBS/1hbnn2v/alma993707790105504
The publisher’s website displays the correct sequence:
I do not consider this request an “enhancement” feature, rather a basic library requirement, dating back to the traditional card-catalogue-era.
Many thanks.

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Manu Schwendener commented
NERS 8160, open for voting now.
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Jesse Kruppa (UCR) commented
As library staff and a patron, when I sort volumes I expect volume 9 to sort before volumes 12, 23, 38, 85, and 91.
Primo needs a better volume sort. Alphanumeric sorting does not play nicely with numbers. When numbers are stored and sorted as text, 12 will come before 3 because the sort is looking at the first character, not the whole value.
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Alice Robinson commented
Thanks to everyone who has voted here: please pass the word around for further support. Very gratefully yours, Alice
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Manu Schwendener commented
> basic requirement
I completely agree.
The only reason that I didn't post this as a NERS entry this year is that I never would have expected Ex Libris to consider https://ideas.exlibrisgroup.com/forums/308176-primo/suggestions/42926031-number-and-sort-the-volumes-in-multi-volume-works as completed with alphabetical sorting.
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Alice Robinson commented
Nota bene: This problem is not confined to analytical bibliographic data (MARC 773): it would appear to be a "bigger" sorting issue with PrimoVE as demonstrated in the Brecht example.
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Andrea Leslie commented
Couldn't agree more!
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Alice Robinson commented
This was the first attempt at this request: