Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

This author keeps deleting books from Listopia lists.

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/20...

What is the policy regarding this? As far as I'm aware...librarians are only allowed to remove books from a list if it 100% doesn't fit the list. This does not seem to be the case here (with this 2nd delete).

The list is called "Author Temper Tantrums." Do the removed books fit the qualifications of the list? If so, they should not have been removed.

From what I have been told, Goodreads' official policy is to let books stay on lists unless they are grossly miscategorized. I have kept my hands off of many books I am less than thrilled with on lists because of that policy. When in doubt, leave it on.

Granted, that is the sort of list that people can take badly.

Oh, the author fits the category. But she keeps removing the book and others keep adding the book.

it is the author of said books that removed them...and said author has been very much in the public eye with her comments on various feedback threads recently

Alessandra wrote: "The list is called "Author Temper Tantrums." Do the removed books fit the qualifications of the list? If so, they should not have been removed.

From what I have been told, Goodreads' official po..."

As far as I know, that is the official policy. If you see a horror book listed in the YA/romance list..it doesn't belong there. But since this is an opinion list, it's up the the opinion of the person adding the book. There are several books that I don't feel belong on that list, but are there anyway.

But when it's the author of the book...who was just barely making a scene on a Feedback thread who deleted it and has deleted the book before, it looks more like sabotage.

Threads about policy are fine. If this becomes a thread about specific individuals, it will be closed. This group is not the place for that.

rivka wrote: "Threads about policy are fine. If this becomes a thread about specific individuals, it will be closed. This group is not the place for that."

Point taken.

Skyla (Happy Go Lucky and Lost in Books) wrote: "I'd say since she is removing her books from the list that would count as a temper tantrum."

Ah, no. That fails logically. Removal of a book from this list ought not to be proof of its belonging to the list.

That way lies a mad escalating spiral of people maliciously putting books on the list, with authors having no recourse.

If one is going to have a list like this, one should be scrupulously fair. I'd go so far as to suggest requiring documentation of examples, as backup in case things are challenged.

Mind you, that doesn't always prevent lists from exploding (she said ruefully).

Alessandra wrote: "Skyla (Happy Go Lucky and Lost in Books) wrote: "I'd say since she is removing her books from the list that would count as a temper tantrum."

Ah, no. That fails logically. Removal of a book from..."

The interesting part of this list, is that some cannot resist retailiating in the comments, thereby providing documentation. (She said amusedly.) Sometimes people are just fun to watch.

rivka wrote: "Threads about policy are fine. If this becomes a thread about specific individuals, it will be closed. This group is not the place for that."

Fair enough, but this is an interesting question from a policy standpoint. Most lists are fairly black and white, an erotica book does not belong on a YA list for example. But this list is opinion based, and based on votes and that the book was removed and put back on the list twice now...that would seem to indicate that the majority think it belongs there.

So what are the rules regarding removing books from an opinion based list like this one?

Alessandra wrote: "Ah, no. That fails logically. Removal of a book from this list ought not to be proof of its belonging to the list.

That way lies a mad escalating spiral of people maliciously putting books on the list, with authors having no recourse... "

If proof was a requirement then several books would be removed, but not that particular one. The list creator has decided that the list is to be opinion based...so proof or not if the general opinion of the voters is that the book belongs there then it will stay there. It has been discussed a few times in the comments for the list to leave books whether you personally agree or not since someone is of the opinion that it does.

Stefani wrote: "If proof was a requirement then several books would be removed, but not that particular one. The list creator has decided that the list is to be opinion based...so proof or not if the general opinion of the voters is that the book belongs there then it will stay there. It has been discussed a few times in the comments for the list to leave books whether you personally agree or not since someone is of the opinion that it does. "

That was my opinion of this particular list. There are some books on the list that I think should not be there.

Which is why I asked this policy question. Most librarians think 2 and 3 times before removing books from Listopia lists. I don't feel this is happening in this situation.

I think they're putting one on as a representative book of the author...but that's only my guess. Anyone can add an author, and in perusing the comments (my peoplewatching), it appears there ARE authors on there that don't deserve to be...Stacia Kane is mentioned as one...in that case, it said she knows she's on there, and she's fine with it...the assumption is that she won't really get any votes, I guess. It appears that it's a retaliation by authors truly acting badly, putting them on there...

But so far, the list seems to be policing itself. Folks asking why a person's on there, and others giving links to reasons why, and examples.

Seems to be more valid than "best books of the year" lists.

"The list is an opinion everyone's opinion counts which means once a book is on there it should not be removed AT ALL.

Unless there is a policy I am missing I don't think anything should be removed. "

Good point.

Beth, we have discussed many times whether we should remove the Stacia Kane book, as most of us don't feel she belongs there as she has stood up for reviewers in the past. It was one voter, who we assume was doing it just to spite a good author, so, like Skyla said, we don't remove the book because it's an opinion and we believe that everyone has the right to vote on it, regardless of whether the majority agrees with their opinion.

As for requiring documentation, I'm just not sure how that would work. Who would be the one to decide if a user's reasons are enough for the book to stay on the list? I think the way people have been doing it in the past--asking in the comments if they have a question, and receiving an answer from someone who knows/voted--has worked. The only problems we've really had are having books removed, or even the title changed drastically.

Do all GR authors have the ability to remove their books from Listopia lists, or is it only those who have full Librarian status?

Cindy wrote: "Do all GR authors have the ability to remove their books from Listopia lists, or is it only those who have full Librarian status?"

I believe it is only those with Librarian status. Just regular GR authors have a limited ability to edit information on their own books, but not other Librarian functions.

Thalia wrote: "Beth, we have discussed many times whether we should remove the Stacia Kane book, as most of us don't feel she belongs there as she has stood up for reviewers in the past. It was one voter, who we ..."

There does seem to be about 20 or 30 sockpuppets attached to the stacia kane votes. I'll go report in feedback.

I could remove books before I was a librarian, but that was only because I was the creator. The profile in question that we were looking at it doesn't say the user is a librarian, but their books are removed by them, and they've done various other edits, so they must be.

Skyla (Happy Go Lucky and Lost in Books) wrote: "It is an opinion list. I have not voted for anything on the list, or added any books to the list but by removing books from a list because you don't agree with the opinion of the person who added them when it is an opinion list makes it look like you are throwing a tantrum."

Wouldn't say so, about it making look like throwing a tantrum by default if a author disagrees with his work being on that list.

And a Author Temper Tantrum List isn't pure opinion I'd say, not in the way as, dunno, a Feelgood Books list would be, unless you mean it is up to the voter to decide what they deem a "tantrum".

How does one remove a book from a list anyway?

It's the last option on the edit page for the list, right under "check for duplicates."

Oh right thanks. Saw that an author added his own vampire horror to a fantasy list that asked for pure fantasy: no vampires. It's not even a cross-over book but rather a more traditional vampire horror. So you know...needs to be deleted.