Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

Hi! I have a few questions about boxed sets.

I think a single entry can be added for the whole set, with the ISBN that is printed on the box. Can the volumes included in the boxed set be added separately as well, if each one of them have its own, different ISBN? If not, and the individual ISBNs are already in the database, should they be merged with the boxed set or invalidated?

The Librarian Manual lists boxed sets in the Valid books section, with this definition: Boxed sets (sold as a boxed set with one ISBN)

A boxed set is added as a single edition. Here's an example:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

The books within the boxed set will most likely already be in the Goodreads catalog as they would have been published prior to the boxed set's publication.

The book must have been published on its own in order to qualify for addition to the Goodreads catalog. If the boxed set includes a never-before-published book, we do not add it as a separate edition from the boxed set.

Regarding the merge/combine terminology:
Merge means to delete a book in such a way that the reader shelvings/reviews/ratings are moved from the deleted book to the appropriate legitimate book.
Combine means to group editions of the same book into a single group.

Boxed sets are never combined with individual titles. They appear separately in the author's booklist.

Regarding invalidating a listing on Goodreads, please see the Librarian Manual for essential information: https://help.goodreads.com/s/article/...

When adding a boxed set, we must be certain that it is a true, published boxed set with an ISBN or ASIN specific to that set. The Amazon bot frequently adds "collections" from third-party sellers who sometimes label books their sales page as a "set." Those collections are the seller's choice of grouping 2 or more individual books together for sale. They often include a phrase like "Individual books will be shipped as shown by the ISBNs below." These collections are not boxed sets; they are not valid to be added as a boxed set. When found in the catalog, they are to be merged with the first book listed in the collection.

Please review the instructions in the Librarian Manual carefully. Librarians who violate the policies given in the Manual can have their librarian status revoked.