Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

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Questions (not edit requests) > Forcing proper sort (was check title sort field)

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message 1: by [deleted user] (new)

Can you check title sort field for this book
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

When I sort by title it comes after The Other Husband and The Other Wind


message 2: by Sandra (new)

Sandra | 31477 comments That isn't something that the volunteer librarians do. We fix & add books/authors to the database.

You need to make this request in The Feedback Group as they deal with the functionality of the site.


message 3: by [deleted user] (last edited Nov 27, 2017 09:14AM) (new)

I just wanted someone to look at the field since I can't.
If you looked and the sort field is properly set up then okay I will open a request on the Feedback Group but I thought I should rule out a data entry error first.
I feel like if I reported it there someone would say that is a librarian issue. (eta: but now I can say a librarian confirmed sort field is correct and they can't say it to me)

ETA: posted https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


message 4: by Sandra (new)

Sandra | 31477 comments There is no problem with the sort field on that record.

The search field is fairly notorious so no one would think it is a librarian issue. Go for it & Good Luck.


message 5: by [deleted user] (last edited Nov 27, 2017 09:45AM) (new)

Moved question from Feedback Group back to here.

Shelf looks like this (see photo in msg7):
-The Other Husband
-The Other Wind
-The Other <----- in the wrong order

If you look at 'sort by title' it looks like this:
-Other Husband, The
-Other Wind, The
-Other, The

Based on that, the "comma" would come after blank spot and its sorted properly which means its not a bug, its doing what we told it to do. lethe explained why its doing that. I was wrongish. see msg8 Maybe we could delete ", The" just for this book (all editions) so it forces it to sort properly?

Make 'sort by title":
-Other
-Other Husband, The
-Other Wind, The

Since its not a bug and seems more like a librarian issue I am posting it here now.
moved out of book issues to questions


message 6: by rivka, Former Moderator (new)

rivka | 45177 comments Mod
The sort field has nothing to do with the search index.


message 7: by [deleted user] (last edited Nov 27, 2017 09:47AM) (new)

Nothing to do with search at all. Viewing bookshelf issue/sorting issue.

Photo https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/... deleted


message 8: by lethe (last edited Nov 27, 2017 09:41AM) (new)

lethe | 16359 comments According to international sorting rules, interpunction has the same value as a space. If the comma is counted as a space, this title will still be sorted incorrectly (multiple spaces are counted as one), namely in second position.

Since GR usually places the article a title starts with at the end in the sort field instead of leaving it out, the system occasionally creates these incorrect sortings. Therefore, I have removed ', the' from the sort field of 'The Other'.


message 9: by [deleted user] (last edited Nov 27, 2017 09:40AM) (new)

Wonderful. TY.


message 10: by lethe (new)

lethe | 16359 comments Lexa wrote: "Based on that, the "comma" would come after blank spot and its sorted properly which means its not a bug, its doing what we told it to do. lethe explained why its doing that. I was wrongish. see msg8"

No, you were not wrong. GR apparently does not adhere to international sorting rules (= equating a comma with a space), but sorts interpunction after spaces. But if it had adhered, the books would still have been sorted incorrectly, namely:

-Other Husband, The
-Other, The
-Other Wind, The

So removing the comma and the article at the end was the only way for The Other to be sorted correctly :)


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