1JoeB1934
I have been plagued for a long time with adding books to my library through an import where I provide a valid ISBN from Amazon. LT imports the book as if I didn't have a valid ISBN.
If I add the book from inside LT it can come up with the book, but there isn't an ISBN. Instead, maybe an EAN.
Try it with The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker
If I add the book from inside LT it can come up with the book, but there isn't an ISBN. Instead, maybe an EAN.
Try it with The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker
2gilroy
Amazon doesn't use ISBN, normally, but their own ASIN, which should be equivalent.
IF you want the ISBN, you'll either need to add it yourself after the import, or use a source OTHER than Amazon.
IF you want the ISBN, you'll either need to add it yourself after the import, or use a source OTHER than Amazon.
3MarthaJeanne
If I test on the add books page using ISBN 1452129037 OverCat gives me two library source choices. Amazon.co.uk includes the ISBN in the record.
If you add books from the add books page you can see what you are getting, and have more control. The add book on the work page is a quick short cut for those who don't want to worry about the details.
And searching by ISBN usually works better than title, author. You get that specific edition.
For older books, a lot of Amazon data is from their partners, and the data quality is often really bad. Also note that Amazon covers are on Amazon servers, and if Amazon changes the cover for an ISBN. so will your cover. They can also disappear. Member covers are on LT servers, and therefore stable.
If you add books from the add books page you can see what you are getting, and have more control. The add book on the work page is a quick short cut for those who don't want to worry about the details.
And searching by ISBN usually works better than title, author. You get that specific edition.
For older books, a lot of Amazon data is from their partners, and the data quality is often really bad. Also note that Amazon covers are on Amazon servers, and if Amazon changes the cover for an ISBN. so will your cover. They can also disappear. Member covers are on LT servers, and therefore stable.
4JoeB1934
I regularly use Goodreads to obtain my ISBN thinking that was equivalent to Amazon. How can I designate that as my source? They often have multiple editions, and the fact is that I don't care at all which ISBN I use so I pick one with an ISBN.
Not having an ISBN in LT is a problem because I frequently import my LT into GR, which won't touch a record without an ISBN
Not having an ISBN in LT is a problem because I frequently import my LT into GR, which won't touch a record without an ISBN
5gilroy
>4 JoeB1934: Goodreads is not a source you can use. Overcat is a gathering of all searches done from Libraries. Or you can chose a regular library to search yourself.
6JoeB1934
>3 MarthaJeanne: Pardon my French, but the statement "The add book on the work page is a quick short cut for those who don't want to worry about the details" is at the least "senseless". You make a big deal about ISBN in LT and why not make your search be one that includes an ISBN.
Do you just take the first one with the title placed in the Add Books field. If I am adding a book that someone in LT mentions in a post I want to add that book without knowing what the ISBN is. Assuming the touchstone is correct.
The bottom line is I don't care what edition is in my library, I just want it to have an ISBN
Do you just take the first one with the title placed in the Add Books field. If I am adding a book that someone in LT mentions in a post I want to add that book without knowing what the ISBN is. Assuming the touchstone is correct.
The bottom line is I don't care what edition is in my library, I just want it to have an ISBN
7lilithcat
>6 JoeB1934:
I don't care what edition is in my library, I just want it to have an ISBN
ISBNs are assigned to specific editions of a work, so I have a hard time understanding why, if you don't care about the edition, you care about having an ISBN.
I don't care what edition is in my library, I just want it to have an ISBN
ISBNs are assigned to specific editions of a work, so I have a hard time understanding why, if you don't care about the edition, you care about having an ISBN.
8gilroy
>6 JoeB1934: That's actually contradictory. If you don't care about the what edition, you don't care about the ISBN.
ISBN dictates edition.
ISBN dictates edition.
9Nicole_VanK
>7 lilithcat: >8 gilroy: From what I understand >4 JoeB1934: says that Goodreads won't accept imports that don't have any ISBN at all. (To me that sounds more like a GR bug, but I do understand it can be a problem for someone using both.)
10Foretopman
>7 lilithcat: >8 gilroy: I think what JoeB1934 is saying is that they don't care *what* ISBN gets assigned, but they need for the ISBN field in their record to be non-blank (and to be valid for at least *some* edition of the work) so that the record can be imported into Goodreads.
11MarthaJeanne
Yet another reason not to use Goodreads. There are many books out there that do not have ISBNs. Including modern ones published by Amazon.
12lilithcat
>9 Nicole_VanK:, >10 Foretopman:
Okay, that makes sense.
That is, his reason for wanting them makes sense. The fact that GR won't accept an import without an ISBN does not.
Okay, that makes sense.
That is, his reason for wanting them makes sense. The fact that GR won't accept an import without an ISBN does not.
13SandraArdnas
>6 JoeB1934: It's not senseless at all. Add Book from the upper row of tabs is the default LT search for data sources. It lets you pick your source and see the data that will be imported. Add Book (Express) from the work page was introduced recently to satisfy numerous demands for something quicker at the expense of data accuracy and control. So if you care what data you get, just use standard Add Book feature. Besides, Amazon not providing an ISBN is down to Amazon, not LT, which only lets you import their data.
Also, I would assume that any Amazon record comes with ASIN. Goodreads not recognizing that as identifier verges on unbelievable since they are Amazon owned, plus they have a ton of books on their site that only have ASIN as an identifier, kindles for starters. Asking there to import by ASIN would be my first thought in your case.
Also, I would assume that any Amazon record comes with ASIN. Goodreads not recognizing that as identifier verges on unbelievable since they are Amazon owned, plus they have a ton of books on their site that only have ASIN as an identifier, kindles for starters. Asking there to import by ASIN would be my first thought in your case.
14JoeB1934
>10 Foretopman: has the story exactly right. GR clearly states in their import instructions that an ISBN is mandatory.
It appears to me that some of you consider GR a competitor. It really isn't and the reason I use GR is because on any book you mention they have a LOT more quantities of the book. Especially for relatively new books that can be very important.
I use GR for all my books because of the stats, the blurb for the book and to a lesser degree the reviews.
But LT has so much more than stats for me, and the threads and the collections feature are absolutely wonderful. I am in LT all day for those reasons alone.
I have mentioned in other groups features that I wish LT had and been turned down, but I won't stop using LT. I just need to understand the reasons and go about getting a work-around for it.
I think this ISBN issue is an important one and all I hear so far is to shrug it off.
One question I will finish with. If I have a typical 3 deep sources to look for a specific book when does the search end?
Let's say Amazon has the book but no ISBN. Is that book the one chosen? And so on through the 3 tiers?
What if I have a major library, for example Brooklyn, has the book with an ISBN. Is its chance gone already?
It appears to me that some of you consider GR a competitor. It really isn't and the reason I use GR is because on any book you mention they have a LOT more quantities of the book. Especially for relatively new books that can be very important.
I use GR for all my books because of the stats, the blurb for the book and to a lesser degree the reviews.
But LT has so much more than stats for me, and the threads and the collections feature are absolutely wonderful. I am in LT all day for those reasons alone.
I have mentioned in other groups features that I wish LT had and been turned down, but I won't stop using LT. I just need to understand the reasons and go about getting a work-around for it.
I think this ISBN issue is an important one and all I hear so far is to shrug it off.
One question I will finish with. If I have a typical 3 deep sources to look for a specific book when does the search end?
Let's say Amazon has the book but no ISBN. Is that book the one chosen? And so on through the 3 tiers?
What if I have a major library, for example Brooklyn, has the book with an ISBN. Is its chance gone already?
15Nicole_VanK
>14 JoeB1934: I advise you to use Overcat as your primary source. It's the accumulative result of successful library searches by LT users over years. It's pretty good on finding records with an ISBN. (Granted, it's not very good at finding very recently released books).
16SandraArdnas
>14 JoeB1934: I'm not following your thinking here at all. I suspect it has to do with not distinguishing 2 different ways of adding books on LT.
The one from work page is very limited. Unless you're already on the work page, there's no reason to use it. For cases when you are already there because you've just discovered it from lists, recs etc and want to add it, if unhappy with what you get from add book express, click 'advanced>go to add books page' and it will search your primary source by title and author. Most of us set Overcat as primary source.
Another tip that might be helpful regarding Goodreads, if you're adding books basically one by one, rather than en masse, the easiest way to add them to Goodreads is using quick links on the right of the work page. (If it isn't among quick links by default, you can add it). You don't even have to have the book catalogued here to use this. When on work page, click on Goodreads quick-link and it will let you pick an edition and take you to the corresponding page on Goodreads, where you just add it any of your shelves. It circumvents the entire ISBN issue. It isn't helpful when you have a stack of books you want to add there, but when you've discovered books on LT and would like to add them to Goodreads wishlist, to read and the like, that's by far the quickest way to do it.
The one from work page is very limited. Unless you're already on the work page, there's no reason to use it. For cases when you are already there because you've just discovered it from lists, recs etc and want to add it, if unhappy with what you get from add book express, click 'advanced>go to add books page' and it will search your primary source by title and author. Most of us set Overcat as primary source.
Another tip that might be helpful regarding Goodreads, if you're adding books basically one by one, rather than en masse, the easiest way to add them to Goodreads is using quick links on the right of the work page. (If it isn't among quick links by default, you can add it). You don't even have to have the book catalogued here to use this. When on work page, click on Goodreads quick-link and it will let you pick an edition and take you to the corresponding page on Goodreads, where you just add it any of your shelves. It circumvents the entire ISBN issue. It isn't helpful when you have a stack of books you want to add there, but when you've discovered books on LT and would like to add them to Goodreads wishlist, to read and the like, that's by far the quickest way to do it.
17JoeB1934
>16 SandraArdnas: Thank you for these tips, I will try using them soon.
18Nicole_VanK
Detail >8 gilroy: No, it does not. Not really. ISBN was developed as a mere tool for distribution purposes. If the book wasn't distributed through the regular channels - for example exhibition catalogues only sold at the venue (I have many of those) no need to get an ISBN in the first place. And if the publisher no longer distributes the book, they may choose to recycle the ISBN. Bad habit, in my eyes, but it saves them some money (yes, you have to buy an ISBN - I've been on that side of things for a little while).
19JoeB1934
Based on what has been said here I have done some investigating. What I have learned is: (The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker was used to search)
(1) Some time I get the best results in Add Books by searching for the Title and Author appended. I am wondering how that would work in an import file. When I do this on GR I get more focused results also.
(2) I get a mixture: ASIN, EAN and ISBN. So, I tried to import the same book with each designation into GR. GR only recognized the ISBN correctly. The other 2 were ignored. I guess they truly mean ISBN or nothing.
(3) I tried other sources and found that amazon UK all media was best for me.
(4) GR seems to ignore my import field all together and the ISBN field is the only one that is required to import.
I am wondering if the LT import process could use the title and author appended to get better outcomes.
(1) Some time I get the best results in Add Books by searching for the Title and Author appended. I am wondering how that would work in an import file. When I do this on GR I get more focused results also.
(2) I get a mixture: ASIN, EAN and ISBN. So, I tried to import the same book with each designation into GR. GR only recognized the ISBN correctly. The other 2 were ignored. I guess they truly mean ISBN or nothing.
(3) I tried other sources and found that amazon UK all media was best for me.
(4) GR seems to ignore my import field all together and the ISBN field is the only one that is required to import.
I am wondering if the LT import process could use the title and author appended to get better outcomes.
21MarthaJeanne
If you use just title and author in an import file, LT will give you an entry with just title and author, and not search sources. This is because the ISBN specifies which edition you have. A recent bestseller is likely to have at least 6 ISBNs. US and UK hardback, paperback, and eBook versions. Maybe audio versions as well.
