Goodreads Librarians Group discussion
Questions (from Librarians only)
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Clarify Use of Edition Field for Language and Regional Differences
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We're not firm on what case is recommended and, while Librarians are welcome to align on a style amongst themselves, this isn't something we're monitoring. On a personal note, I also prefer consistency in case, and think that sentence case looks best - but that's maybe just me!
Definitely not for language as we already have a field for it.
I have a question and suggestion regarding the Edition field guidelines in the Librarian Manual.
Right now, the page explains what belongs in the field (like "2nd edition" or "Film Tie-In Edition") and what doesn't, but it doesn't mention whether it's appropriate to include things like "UK Edition," "US Edition," or "Brazilian Portuguese Edition."
Since the Language field only shows the general language (English, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.), not the regional variant, would it be acceptable to use the Edition field to note region-specific editions that differ in spelling, publisher, cover, or other details? For example:
* UK Edition vs US Edition (both English)
* Mexican Edition vs Spanish Edition (both Spanish)
* Brazilian Portuguese Edition vs European Portuguese Edition
Also, should the manual clarify that adding just "Italian Edition" or "Spanish Edition" in the Edition field is redundant when the Language field already shows that?
I think adding guidance on both points could help keep entries more consistent.
Thanks for considering it.
P.S.: Is there a preferred capitalization style for the Edition field? For example, should it be Kickstarter Edition (title case) or Kickstarter edition (sentence case)? The manual doesn’t currently specify this, and guidance would help keep formatting consistent.