1simonsalt
When an author is listed under multiple versions of the same name, e.g. Terry Pratchett and Sir Terry Pratchett they are counted as two authors when they are really the same author. It would be great to be able to merge them into one record to accurately reflect the number of authors in the catalog.
2MarthaJeanne
Yes, they can be combined. It gets complicated when one of the names is used by more than one author.
Terry Pratchett and Sir Terry Pratchett are already combined. "Terry Pratchett is composed of 35 names. "
Terry Pratchett and Sir Terry Pratchett are already combined. "Terry Pratchett is composed of 35 names. "
3paradoxosalpha
Author combination is already possible and practiced extensively.
What you can't do is make the variants "vanish" or "not count," because user data has to be preserved (i.e. if I include a title in an author's name but nobody else does, that will stand), and combinations need to be reversible.
What you can't do is make the variants "vanish" or "not count," because user data has to be preserved (i.e. if I include a title in an author's name but nobody else does, that will stand), and combinations need to be reversible.
4SandraArdnas
>1 simonsalt: If you mean that in your own catalogue, name variants are listed separately, you can always edit the name to the standard one. I'd also suggest switching to library sources, rather than Amazon, for overall better data and in particular consistent author names. In particular, records from their market sellers on Amazon are usually so terrible, you end up editing most of it to have good data.
