ebook page numbers

[J_BlueFlower]

I know this has been discussed many times, but it is very hard to find a conclusion and the librarian manual is vague on the point. How should page numbers be set for ebooks? What if there is no printed or pdf version? Is it number of words/450? (I hope that the answer isn't “0”. That would damage statistics. )

Whatever the answer is IMHO it should be in the Librarian Manual.

[Linda]

I also have been working with ebooks and would like to know. I have looked at the librarian manual and it doesn't actually answer the question of ebook pages. The number varies due to screen and text size. Do you enter "0"?

I have found some entries that are blank altogether.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

The only formats for which book-in-hand does not trump publisher/Amazon/etc. data are ebooks. User settings, precise model of ereader, and other variables can mean that the same book on your ereader and mine have different page counts. Therefore, for ebooks (including Kindle editions), the page number should come from the publisher.

If the publisher does not list a number of pages, the field should be left blank.

If an ebook has a page number entered by another librarian, do not delete it unless you have contrary data from the publisher.

[J_BlueFlower]

Linda wrote: "Do you enter "0"?"

No, I haven't edited any page numbers on ebooks, but I have noticed a lot of blanks and a few "0".

[J_BlueFlower]

rivka wrote: "If the publisher does not list a number of pages, the field should be left blank.

If an ebook has a page number entered by another librarian, do not delete it unless you have contrary data from the publisher. "

Seriously? That seems kind of contradictive. So if there is a page number (wrongly) I would have to prove that the published did not list a number of page? Proving a negative can be very hard.

Ok, seriously. There really should be some indicator of the size of a work. Novella? Short short? Novel the equivalent of 1000 pages? Will there be a field for number of words for ebooks?

My personal goal is to read 6000 pages in 2014. Do I have to avoid reading ebooks?

[Linda]

rivka wrote: "The only formats for which book-in-hand does not trump publisher/Amazon/etc. data are ebooks. User settings, precise model of ereader, and other variables can mean that the same book on your ereade..."

Thank you Rivka.

[Empress]

J wrote: "rivka wrote: "If the publisher does not list a number of pages, the field should be left blank.

If an ebook has a page number entered by another librarian, do not delete it unless you have contrar..."

Amazon often gives a printed pages equivalent for it's ebooks.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

J wrote: "So if there is a page number (wrongly) I would have to prove that the published did not list a number of page?"

How would you know it's wrong unless you had definitive information to the contrary?

[Sandra]

Does this mean that PDF page numbers' are no longer the correct info?

I often find the PDF numbers are a couple out from the publisher info, just like with paperbacks.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Are PDFs still common for ebooks?

A PDF is a true fixed-length ebook, so it should be ok. However, despite repeated assertions to the contrary, the same is not true for ePubs, Kindle editions, or other ebook formats.

[Sandra]

I buy either PDF's or kindle, so they are still common. epubs & I just don't get on :)

[J. Darien]

rivka wrote: "If the publisher does not list a number of pages, the field should be left blank."

I was hoping to estimate a page count using something like the Calibre CountPages plugin's algorithm* and leave a Librarian Note that the page count is an approximation, and should be updated if published in print or the publisher gives updated information.

You're saying that would NOT be appropriate, correct?

* Tested it with several books that I have in ebook and print, tends to come out a smidge low, but pretty darn close.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

That's an interesting question. We'll have to discuss that and get back to you.

[J. Darien]

Much obliged! :)

[Christine]

I was hoping to add the page count to this ebook, currently listed with 0 pages: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... (ISBN 9780307374080). Unfortunately the publisher's site (here) doesn't have that information.

Upthread rivka wrote, "If the publisher does not list a number of pages, the field should be left blank." But J and J. Darien seemed to be talking about ebooks that were not available in print. If a book has been published in print, as in this case, is it acceptable to use the page count from the paperback or Kindle edition? (The alternative seems to be forcing readers to shelve the wrong edition if they want one with that info.)

[rivka, Former Moderator]

J. Darien wrote: "I was hoping to estimate a page count using something like the Calibre CountPages plugin's algorithm* and leave a Librarian Note that the page count is an approximation, and should be updated if published in print or the publisher gives updated information."

After some discussion, we are ok with this, as long as the Note you mention is included in all such cases.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Christine wrote: "If a book has been published in print, as in this case, is it acceptable to use the page count from the paperback or Kindle edition?"

Only if the publisher does so, as is the case for many Kindle editions.

[J. Darien]

Thanks rivka. Will do.

[Christine]

Thanks for the clarification, rivka. :-)

[Melaslithos]

Another question: if the Kindle edition has a page number, can we use this number for the other ebook versions? Or is it better to give a page estimation with for example the Calibre plugin?

[Sandra]

I find the kindle & PDF ebook page numbers can be very different.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Melaslithos wrote: "Another question: if the Kindle edition has a page number, can we use this number for the other ebook versions?"

Not unless you can verify that the publisher uses that number for all editions.

[Melaslithos]

OK, thanks.