An over-enthusiastic amateur combiner?

Did I do the wrong thing? The Penguin book of Renaissance verse had entries under both its editor David Norbrook and various. I thought it would be more useful if they were all under the editor name as they're all the same book so combined the two versions. Now I'm not so sure I knew what I was doing. Is there a manual somewhere? Am I sacked?

No, you did the right thing. Too bad they seem to have landed under various, but like you said: they are the same work.

Amateur combiner? As if there'd be such a number of paid, professional combiners hereabouts...
No, you're not sacked. I've done real stupid mistakes when I started.

If you look on the 'editions' page you will get some idea of the likely author that the system will prefer after combination. Only 'some idea' because many of the even-numbered lines represent a pair of a real copy with its 'anti-matter' zero copy. (I do wish TPTB would fix that!). I hate Various but when you have so many copies under that 'author' opposed by two different editors as well as joint editorship between the two, the result you got was inevitable.

I wonder if the two editors did have the exactly the same selection of poems - I would guess that there are differences but I agree with BarkingMatt that your combination is the best of the achievable outcomes.

Apparently two editors worked together on this one ("The Penguin Book Of Renaissance Verse: 1509-1659 / Edited By: David Norbrook & H. R. Woudhuysen") - and then there are attributions to various. Not sure of course - I don't actually have that book - but my best guess is that they are the same.

I do have that book. The title page says: Selected and with and introduction by David Norbrook; edited by H.R. Woudhuysen
It's one of my favourite anthologies because it actually changed my view of English renaissance verse.

Another case where my suggestion to ignore "authors" like "various" when combining works would be helpful.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/93378

Phew! Thanks guys. My over-confidence comes from being an escaped cataloguer. In my former life I knew the (successive) library systems inside out - knew exactly what I was doing, and had manuals if in any doubt. I love the freedom from the pedantries of the old MARC record here, which used to irritate me, and think this is a really clever system. I've been discovering more about it over the last week as I catalogue my own library here, but feel as though I need a mentor or something. It's so intuitive in many ways, but your reassurances (thanks!!) invite further questions. Today I learned how to make sure the combined book ends up with the best title. But how could I have made sure that this combination ended up with the editor as author and not "various" (whoever he is)? Yes BarkingMatt the complete statement of responsibility in my copy is "Selected and with an introduction by David Norbrook;edited by H. R. Woudhuysen". I didn't think of looking for variations under the latter. I have other questions to do with the system. Can I ask one of you directly? It would be quicker than trying to find the right thread in the forum :)

I took too long to compose my last message! Wow you're all so responsive and yes Henkl, The Uni course I did last year where this was the text was a revelation to me too. So what am i supposed to do about various!? I only discovered him (or her!) tonight, and now I have to get dinner!

Your always welcome - when I'm online. But you might also want to check out the "Combiner's Group Information, FAQ & Discussion Thread"s.

It might be possible to massage the work onto one of the editor pages, but that can be quite tricky.

>8 Eurydice2:

Answering the last few sentences: I think it would be better to ask questions in this forum because: a) other people may have the same questions and learn something from the answers, and b) there's often more than one way to skin a cat. (Also: c) sometimes we disagree on the right way to do things.)

>9 Eurydice2:

On Various - stay relaxed! Thinking about fixing Various before dinner is a bit ambitious: play it safe and plan to get it fixed by the next arrival of Halley's comet.

>3 ari.joki: "No, you're not sacked."

Kramer: "I don't even really work here."
Boss: "That's what makes this so difficult."