Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

I'm in the process of using Goodreads to help inventory my book collection. Generally, I'll find the closest edition to what I have & make a private note where my copy differs. I have been adding the occasional book where I could not find any edition listed, but soon I will be into the books I inherited from my Grandfather, where I expect to find a lot of books pre-dating the ISBN system. Any general advice on what I should or shouldn't be doing to make things easier for the Librarians with user added books?

Also, I'm currently into my college texts & finding a couple really screwed up entries tying up the ISBN for the study guides, should I post a thread in this group for a fix? For a specific example, ISBN13 # 9780669244359 has an abbreviated title & lists the wrong authors (the authors for the solutions manual are different from the authors of the original textbooks), I have added an edition with the correct information under ISBN # 066924435x.

For pre-ISBN books, definitely add date of publication, publisher (or imprint, if there is one), and format. Of course, the more you can put in the better (cover scans are awesome and so are summaries), but those three things are what most librarians will look for to determine validity of the record.

For textbooks, a LOT of those records are imported very badly; abbreviated titles and wrong information for study guides are very common. Please do post in this group when you have fixes for any of them! :)

Richard wrote: "Generally, I'll find the closest edition to what I have & make a private note where my copy differs."

Can you provide an example or two?

If you're finding small differences such as page numbers or publication dates, it could be errors on the site, and any librarian can verify and fix those. If it's something greater, like a different cover, it's possible to make an alternate cover edition.

Of course, if you have a completely different edition from those listed, continue as you were and add the edition you have :) Just remember to combine with any other editions that may exist!

Richard wrote: "I'm in the process of using Goodreads to help inventory my book collection. Generally, I'll find the closest edition to what I have & make a private note where my copy differs. I have been adding t..."

I, too. own a lot of pre-ISBN books.

1) Posting a cover image is extremely helpful

2) I add a Librarian Note to the edition record to state “This book was published BEFORE the ISBN numbering standard was introduced” I was advised that discourages another librarian from wiping the record, thinking it is a duplicate.

3) In the “Edition” field I’ll put (if I know it) 1st / 2nd / 3rd (i.e. the edition, NOT the impression). Impression number & year I enter as a Private Note. It would rapidly become unmanageable (and wasteful of storage) to create a book record for every impression of every edition. Just think how many impressions & through how many different publishers John Buchan’s novels ran (and continue to run) through!

4) On occasion you’ll find you own an impression bearing an ISBN number; but either you haven’t got / can’t find the information to know for sure which edition this is an impression of, or you know that the edition was published before the ISBN system came into use. i.e. an impression may have an ISBN number even though its edition was published before ISBN numbering came into use. When that happened to me I added a Librarian Note to state “ISBN quoted relates to the 11th reprint 1974 of the 'New Edition' of 1963." A cover image is invaluable here.


^ Sub

Non-librarians can't add librarian notes, though.

And all librarians should be aware that not all editions have ISBNs, although I know we've had some problems in the past. :(

When I add a pre-ISBN book I try to remember to add the LOC catalogue # (if it has one) to the description and as a librarian note. Or if the publisher had a numerical designation for it, I use that.

Violetta wrote: "Richard wrote: "Generally, I'll find the closest edition to what I have & make a private note where my copy differs."

Can you provide an example or two?

If you're finding small differences such a..."

The discrepancies I usually see are page count 0, hardback/paperback based on ISBN, different/missing covers, different edition #s. Some of the older fiction I have already has so many listings that it is hard to wade through if the ISBN does not match the cover & format of the book in my hand.

I have around 50 boxes of books in the attic. My personal goal is to be able to find a book in all that when I am ready to reread/reference it. Scanning covers & copying proper descriptions may be more effort than I really want to go to (we'll see), but I can certainly start adding the LOC info from now on.

Richard wrote: "Violetta wrote: "Richard wrote: "Generally, I'll find the closest edition to what I have & make a private note where my copy differs."

Can you provide an example or two?

If you're finding small d..."

Having now read your stated personal goal; if I were in your position I’d think for speed stay simple. FIRST take a digi-camera & photograph the front cover of every book. Name each image file to reference author and title & e-group them in folders “Box 1”, “Box 2” etc. You’ll then be able to locate any book you want quickly by using the file/folder search tools on your computer.

Weeks, months, or years after that you can THEN think, at your leisure, about entering each of your books onto the Goodreads database & seeing who else out there has the same titles. Staged like that I expect you’ll find it more pleasurable & pressure-free too.

One last thought, do keep an eye on books stored, even if boxed, in an unheated attic. Damp, insects, and widely-fluctuating temperature (hot summer cold winter) will all act to destroy books.