Publicatin date not showing in lists, but is in description

[Yaaresse]

I've noticed about a dozen books that show "unknown" in the Pub Date column of my Read Books list even though a pub date is showing on the book's main page/link. I'm not seeing anything unusual about the dates, no random characters, etc.
Likely either a database pointer error or input error.

Is this something librarians can take on? If so, should I list all affected titles in one post or separately?

[Tytti]

Well it seems some of them are missing publication dates. They can be added but one would have to know what they are.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Yaaresse wrote: "I've noticed about a dozen books that show "unknown" in the Pub Date column of my Read Books list even though a pub date is showing on the book's main page/link."

There are 2 possible pub date columns on your My Books page: the one for your specific shelved edition, and the one for the work overall. But yes, sounds like something librarians can probably help with. As Tytti said, we'd need specifics.

[Yaaresse]

I'm using the Date Pub for the overall work.

What's easier for you guys, the link to the book's main page or the link to the book's All Editions page?

I own some of these so can verify the pub dates

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Links to specific editions are probably most useful.

[Yaaresse]

OK, Here's the list.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
Dec 1979 by Illuminated Way Press (IWP) Also, I think the cover art for this is on Amazon.

Ok, those I own or have loaded on Kindle and the dates (and ISBN or ASIN showing on the GR main book page agree with what I see in front of me on the editions.

I don't own the following, so can't vouch for anything other than the Read list Pub Date is showing "unknown".

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[free]

AFAIK, there are two "date pub" in your book shelves...

1. "date pub" : I think it shows the original publication date, if it's empty than it'll show "unknown"

2. "date pub (ed.)" : I think it shows the publication date for specific edition, if it's empty than it'll show "unknown"

for example is your first book link : Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story, ISBN 9781577314912
in your read shelves, for "date pub (ed.)" it shows "Sep 12, 2005" as seen in the main book page...
but for "date pub" it shows "unknown" because the "original publication date" is empty...

as you can see, all of your book link above have no "original publication date" (in book page it shows in parenthesis)

see the difference with this book (also in your read shelves):
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Yaaresse]

Ok, here's what I think you're saying: the information was never imported into the books' description in order for the database table pointers to populate the Date Pub field. And it just so happens that

Since there obviously is an original pub date (since all of these are actually published and not future publications) and that information is available (mostly on WorldCat and Amazon), is it fixable?

[free]

Yaaresse wrote: "...is it fixable?"

I believe it is...
just remember, original publication date is "the date at which the work was originally first published"
see here:
original publication date

[Yaaresse]

Yes, I'm aware of that, thank you. That's why I selected that option. For what I'm trying to do with the list, it's more important for me to know that Hamlet was published in 1602 than that my specific copy is from 1998.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Done.

Your last was a duplicate of the one 2 up, by the way

[Yaaresse]

Sorry. Too many windows open. It should have been the first of the series, but looks like you already figured that out. Thanks.