[Completed]: Book types: acceptability of exhibition guides

[albie_of_nonfic]

Does an exhibition guide (softcover bound, 30 pages) qualify as a book (i.e., acceptable for posting on Goodreads) if it does not have an ISBN? The librarians' guide does not say that exhibition guides are acceptable, but they don't appear on the unacceptable list either.

The book I wish to register does not have an ISBN or author name (it is credited to the arts/history department of the local council), but is photographically illustrated and well-bound (i.e., not a throwaway); further, the local library has deemed it to be sufficiently book-like to keep 25 years after the exhibition ended.

[Tawnya]

My rule of thumb has been if it is on WorldCat, then it is legit. I have seen multitudes of exhibition guides on GR. Those almost always have the museum as the author. Some will have the publisher (which is usually the museum again)

When I first started as a librarian I was really hung up on ISBNs. I mostly did older books, so those obviously don't have them. I was of the erroneous belief that everything after 1967 had to have them. A super told me his country doesn't use them for most books. After spending months cleaning up a very popular author whose works are in over 60 languages I noticed about 25% of the countries do not use them.

I figure if we have to include all of the fan-fic which has no lasting value, something that actually, PHYSICALLY exists should be a no-brainer.

[albie_of_nonfic]

Thanks Tawnya.

To my surprise, the book in question is on WorldCat. And also on Trove (the National Library of Australia catalog), and held by a state library, three local libraries and a mechanics' institute. Real enough for me.

[Tawnya]

You're welcome.

Don't be surprised if the bots add an ASIN to the entry. Those have always existed for every book, but we couldn't see them. We were warned that that was changing. It started last week. I created a book that did not have an ISBN for a reader and in less than 2 hours the bots had added an ASIN. That author I mentioned has had ASINs added to almost all of his books. I expect that all of the books will have them by the end of the month. He has over 2000 editions. The bots are also adding them to ACEs as well.

[Mr. James]

Thank you Tawnya. This was informative. (You taught me something.)