Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

Hi all,
I have just received librarian status, and already have a pickle to deal with. My librarian status welcome email states "If you are manually adding a new edition that we did not previously have in the database, all data must be entered in the same language as the edition in question." I have been adding Hebrew language books, but doing it in English, for a couple of reasons:
1. I have noticed that all other Hebrew language books have been added in English.
2. I don't have Hebrew font on my machine, which makes it impossible for me to enter data, or search for books, in Hebrew. I'm sure this is a problem common to israelis living abroad.

Using English, then, helps maintain a consistent, searchable database. Has anyone had this issue before? Can we maybe ask whoever created the librarian rules to change this one?

Thanks everybody!

I can help you install Hebrew font on any PC, and there are also various online virtual keyboards that will let you type Hebrew on them (and then cut-and-paste to GR).

While there are some Hebrew language books added in English, many are in Hebrew, and all of them should be.

Another thought: I have been concerned with how Hebrew-only entries will prevents my friends from seeing what I'm reading (since they can't read Hebrew), and we do like to check each other's lists often and discuss them. Most of the books that I list have been translated to English, and then my friends have a chance to read them in English, or read about them online. A Hebrew-only entry will prevent all of that from happening!

Technicalities: Thank you for offering help. I'm familiar with the virtual keyboards. I find those to be such an extreme inconvenience! Am I the only one? And - I can't install the font for typing (though I can read it, of course, with any Windows system), and can't put Hebrew stickers on the keyboard I'm using. Some of us use other people's machines as our primary machines.

The Hebrew edition should be combined with the English edition. Example.

IME, virtual keyboards have a learning curve, but you get used to them. Here's one that works pretty well.

This looks like a full English entry (the description, publisher, author, etc. are all in English), with the one difference of the title being entered in both languages. That still does not follow the rules - "all data must be entered in the same language as the edition in question"!

If there are translated editions and they're properly combined with the Hebrew-language edition which you've read, your friends will see them listed in the "other editions" side box of the edition you've read. (And your review certainly can be in whatever language you please!)

I would argue that it would be all right to put descriptions in transliteration (not translation) if the alphabet of the language differs. Also, if a description on the original language is simply not available, a description in another language is okay if it clearly indicates the language of the book -- we did have some discussion about this a while back, I recall, although I can't turn it up.

For titles, transliterated titles are sometimes written "Title in original script [Romanized title:]" so that both are searchable; titles should definitely not be translated (and if you see any, please correct them). It's more of a problem for authors, because author names really need to be in a standard format, so sometimes you'll see an author profile per alphabet, with one used as the primary author and the other given as a secondary author to allow searching.

nogaboga wrote: "This looks like a full English entry (the description, publisher, author, etc. are all in English), with the one difference of the title being entered in both languages. That still does not follow ..."

That's a good point.

The rule was really created to prevent people from adding English-language editions in other languages. (Indonesian and Arabic were really popular, since we have slews of librarians with those native languages.)

nogaboga wrote: "This looks like a full English entry (the description, publisher, author, etc. are all in English), with the one difference of the title being entered in both languages. That still does not follow ..."

If there's no description given at all, the edition will pick up the default description for the book, no matter what language it is. (That book happened to have a default in English: you can tell by looking along the top of the description field's text area.)

rivka wrote: "The rule was really created to prevent people from adding English-language editions in other languages. (Indonesian and Arabic were really popular, since we have slews of librarians with those native languages.)"

Thank you! That makes so much more sense! I already feel better (and less like a criminal).

On a complete side note: I dreamt last night that I sit in front of a computer somewhere (my office, or my husband's parents' house, not sure), and I suddenly realize that the keyboard has both the English and the Hebrew alphabets on it. Hmm...

Heh. I used to have a keyboard like that. I miss it!