Adding books that have no source (but the Series exists) - workarounds?
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1PulpMan
As frustrating as it is, I know the reason already - LT is not a source!
I want to catalog my book collection to know what I have, don't have, and can review at stores. Mostly pulp sci-fi mags, nearly 1k. I demo'd other apps, none seem to get results from searching/scanning, and scanning won't work on the really old stuff anyway. So manual and imports is what I'll have to rely on. I chose LT because I figured if I was going to the trouble of importing data, it may as well benefit other people that can search and use my data later.
Apparently not, LT is not a source, so anything I add is useless to them. Just like when I found the Series page for "Analog Science Fiction and Fact" and realized I couldn't Add those to my collection even though it's got what I need (title-series/date/cover).
Since so many of those Series books can't be added, I'd waste more time finding the ones I can as opposed to importing my own data. As such, I have some Qs...
1. Is there really no way to duplicate those entries into any of my collection categories? Sure, they're not a source, but I am as I have the book in front of me to catalog and I can see the title/date/cover is legit. Manual means way more work (getting images, etc), which means mass importing is the way to go.
2. Since none of the above hopes will likely pan out, I may end up copy/pasting every IFSDB entry for decades/series I have into a CSV, and importing them as a Wish List. Then adding those I actually have to My collection, and pulling images over too. But while these are not in a source, they are already in LT. Does not that importing just make the site messier with duplicates, or at least more work when you have to combine them all later?
3. And if they do combine by auto or manual work, does that mean some things will eventually pull into my imports like book covers?
4. And what happens to my imports/collections if it combines into those existing titles? Such as if the existing title is "Astounding Stories 1930 07", but I import as "Astounding Stories, July 1930." Do my details change so that the entry is consistent and not a dupe? I'm not going to alter the titles from IFSDB as that's more work on an already large task.
5. And if/after they combine, if I viewed the Series page, would I see Green Checks for the ones I have in My Collection (not Wish List), or not because I didn't add them that way? Or all will be green checked since they're in my Wish List or My Collection.
Thank you for any help!
I want to catalog my book collection to know what I have, don't have, and can review at stores. Mostly pulp sci-fi mags, nearly 1k. I demo'd other apps, none seem to get results from searching/scanning, and scanning won't work on the really old stuff anyway. So manual and imports is what I'll have to rely on. I chose LT because I figured if I was going to the trouble of importing data, it may as well benefit other people that can search and use my data later.
Apparently not, LT is not a source, so anything I add is useless to them. Just like when I found the Series page for "Analog Science Fiction and Fact" and realized I couldn't Add those to my collection even though it's got what I need (title-series/date/cover).
Since so many of those Series books can't be added, I'd waste more time finding the ones I can as opposed to importing my own data. As such, I have some Qs...
1. Is there really no way to duplicate those entries into any of my collection categories? Sure, they're not a source, but I am as I have the book in front of me to catalog and I can see the title/date/cover is legit. Manual means way more work (getting images, etc), which means mass importing is the way to go.
2. Since none of the above hopes will likely pan out, I may end up copy/pasting every IFSDB entry for decades/series I have into a CSV, and importing them as a Wish List. Then adding those I actually have to My collection, and pulling images over too. But while these are not in a source, they are already in LT. Does not that importing just make the site messier with duplicates, or at least more work when you have to combine them all later?
3. And if they do combine by auto or manual work, does that mean some things will eventually pull into my imports like book covers?
4. And what happens to my imports/collections if it combines into those existing titles? Such as if the existing title is "Astounding Stories 1930 07", but I import as "Astounding Stories, July 1930." Do my details change so that the entry is consistent and not a dupe? I'm not going to alter the titles from IFSDB as that's more work on an already large task.
5. And if/after they combine, if I viewed the Series page, would I see Green Checks for the ones I have in My Collection (not Wish List), or not because I didn't add them that way? Or all will be green checked since they're in my Wish List or My Collection.
Thank you for any help!
2AnnieMod
It does not matter if you add a book manually or from a source - LT will try to autocombine. If it fails (and it can happen in either way of adding - just because it comes from a source does not mean that it will autocombine), it can be combined manually. If something gets combined wrongly, it can be separated.
Once combined, you will see the appropriate checkbox everywhere.
So step 1. Get the books/ magazines you want in your library (in whatever collection you want them to be). I add my magazines manually because it is faster than trying to find them in weird sources. And no, you cannot use an existing LT record.
Step 1.1. Do the needed separations/combinations :)
That’s it. Don’t get hanged up on step 1 and overthink it. LT does not care if you are adding manually or from a source.
They will have green checkbox if they are in “Your Library” collection; they will be purple if you add them into your wishlist.
Book covers are inside of the works so you can pick them there once combined. Or you can upload yours.
So why don’t you try to add a few and see how it works? You are getting stressed out over things that won’t be a problem or can be easily fixed.
Once combined, you will see the appropriate checkbox everywhere.
So step 1. Get the books/ magazines you want in your library (in whatever collection you want them to be). I add my magazines manually because it is faster than trying to find them in weird sources. And no, you cannot use an existing LT record.
Step 1.1. Do the needed separations/combinations :)
That’s it. Don’t get hanged up on step 1 and overthink it. LT does not care if you are adding manually or from a source.
They will have green checkbox if they are in “Your Library” collection; they will be purple if you add them into your wishlist.
Book covers are inside of the works so you can pick them there once combined. Or you can upload yours.
So why don’t you try to add a few and see how it works? You are getting stressed out over things that won’t be a problem or can be easily fixed.
3MarthaJeanne
Also, manual entry is not really that much slower than using sources if you want your catalogue to be accurate and consistent. You enter things the way you want them, and don't have to check the data and edit it.
However you enter them, your copies of 'Analog Science Fiction and Fact' are going to need separating and combination. The autocombiner only uses 20 characters of the title.
However you enter them, your copies of 'Analog Science Fiction and Fact' are going to need separating and combination. The autocombiner only uses 20 characters of the title.
4PulpMan
>2 AnnieMod:
Thanks, I did do some testing yesterday. Imported 3 books before I found them in the Series, so deleted them. Funny, LT is such NOT a source that I can't even add them back to my collection even though I'm the one that added them. I know, Delete said it couldn't be undone, but it was all just to test various features so I wasn't worried. :)
I guess it may take some time before those autocombine with the existing titles that have different date format. I'll test again without deleting them and see how the autocombine works with adding covers, thanks. I don't plan on doing manual combinations with 1000s of books being added.
I wouldn't say I'm stressed. I just want to make sure I'm going down the right avenue before spending hours in the wrong direction. I have to catalog and preserve (bag, board, zeolite) these as I go along. Manual will be slower than copy/pasting ISFDB since all of them will either be Wish List or already owned. Since I can't use the existing series in LT as a source, any I want to Wish or Add later will need to be done one at a time. I might as well just import all at once and be done with that step.
Thanks, good to hear about the checkboxes (if they combine).
Thanks, I did do some testing yesterday. Imported 3 books before I found them in the Series, so deleted them. Funny, LT is such NOT a source that I can't even add them back to my collection even though I'm the one that added them. I know, Delete said it couldn't be undone, but it was all just to test various features so I wasn't worried. :)
I guess it may take some time before those autocombine with the existing titles that have different date format. I'll test again without deleting them and see how the autocombine works with adding covers, thanks. I don't plan on doing manual combinations with 1000s of books being added.
I wouldn't say I'm stressed. I just want to make sure I'm going down the right avenue before spending hours in the wrong direction. I have to catalog and preserve (bag, board, zeolite) these as I go along. Manual will be slower than copy/pasting ISFDB since all of them will either be Wish List or already owned. Since I can't use the existing series in LT as a source, any I want to Wish or Add later will need to be done one at a time. I might as well just import all at once and be done with that step.
Thanks, good to hear about the checkboxes (if they combine).
5MarthaJeanne
If they don't autocombine on entry, they won't later either. They will have to be combined mbanually.
6PulpMan
>3 MarthaJeanne:
To me, manual entry would be title/series, date, cover, and likely some tags. Not a lot of data, but still manual and taking pictures of each book as I go along if I don't want to pull from a source later. That's why it'd be so useful if LT let you add all these books that already exist with that data already.
Yes, Importing will take some time, but I either own them already or they're on my Wishlist. So going to ISFDB and copy/pasting that existing info into a spreadsheet will be more complete, and is accurate. More than I need at this time, but still faster than one at a time. Next mass buy would mean more manual entry one at a time, or with my import plan, just move them from Wish List to My Collection.
They're going to need separating and combining? Meaning, they won't combine because 20 characters won't see the dates at the end and combine them all into one big book? In which case, they also won't auto-combine giving me access to covers?
If that's case, I'd rather my imports be completely private and only mine, not combining with anything already existing. I'll have to do more small import testing, see how it all works.
Thanks.
To me, manual entry would be title/series, date, cover, and likely some tags. Not a lot of data, but still manual and taking pictures of each book as I go along if I don't want to pull from a source later. That's why it'd be so useful if LT let you add all these books that already exist with that data already.
Yes, Importing will take some time, but I either own them already or they're on my Wishlist. So going to ISFDB and copy/pasting that existing info into a spreadsheet will be more complete, and is accurate. More than I need at this time, but still faster than one at a time. Next mass buy would mean more manual entry one at a time, or with my import plan, just move them from Wish List to My Collection.
They're going to need separating and combining? Meaning, they won't combine because 20 characters won't see the dates at the end and combine them all into one big book? In which case, they also won't auto-combine giving me access to covers?
If that's case, I'd rather my imports be completely private and only mine, not combining with anything already existing. I'll have to do more small import testing, see how it all works.
Thanks.
7AnnieMod
Well, when someone finds them, someone will combine them. Unless you use titles like “My book 1” so it is unclear where the book goes, the book will be there for anyone to find and combine. If you make your library private, your name won’t be under the work but the record is still public.
Covers have nothing to do with the autocombiner. As long as the book is in the correct work (automatically or later manually), you will have access to the covers in that work.
Covers have nothing to do with the autocombiner. As long as the book is in the correct work (automatically or later manually), you will have access to the covers in that work.
8jjwilson61
If a work contains a book that has the same title as you used (up to the 20 char limit) then it will get combined into the work. That's true even if that other book was later deleted.
9PulpMan
>7 AnnieMod:
>8 jjwilson61:
Ok, you're teaching me a new term here: Work. I understand the gist, so that could be helpful for getting images over if I don't do that manually.
Based on my test, they didn't autocombine.
My entry: https://www.librarything.com/work/35526462/editions
Existing one: https://www.librarything.com/work/18471015/editions
What would be the best ways to combine these quick and easily, as I'll have a lot? I see under Editions that neither recommend the other as Potential Combinations. And if I went by Author, since they're listed differently the items aren't in the combining list (as I understand it).
With thousands of entries to copy/paste from ISFDB I would not be trying to search LT for the format used for titles or authors (editor) ahead of time. So my entries will differ, not autocombine, and not show as a Potential Combinations - in many or most cases. Recommendations to make this the most useful for me and future catalogers while still being quick imports?
Thanks for your help so far, I likely won't be around again until Monday.
>8 jjwilson61:
Ok, you're teaching me a new term here: Work. I understand the gist, so that could be helpful for getting images over if I don't do that manually.
Based on my test, they didn't autocombine.
My entry: https://www.librarything.com/work/35526462/editions
Existing one: https://www.librarything.com/work/18471015/editions
What would be the best ways to combine these quick and easily, as I'll have a lot? I see under Editions that neither recommend the other as Potential Combinations. And if I went by Author, since they're listed differently the items aren't in the combining list (as I understand it).
With thousands of entries to copy/paste from ISFDB I would not be trying to search LT for the format used for titles or authors (editor) ahead of time. So my entries will differ, not autocombine, and not show as a Potential Combinations - in many or most cases. Recommendations to make this the most useful for me and future catalogers while still being quick imports?
Thanks for your help so far, I likely won't be around again until Monday.
10MarthaJeanne
>9 PulpMan: That is what the workbench is for. Add each work to the workbench (in the helper's hub) and they can be easily combined there.
