Accented Letters in Author's name

[Lasairfiona]

It doesn't look like Goodreads supports accented letters at the moment. I have run into a couple of authors whose names should have an accent part according to WorldCat but do not on goodreads. In addition to that, when I am sorting the publisher "authors" and run into a name that has an accent, it doesn't combine with the unaccented author that is already up and running.

I think we need to support accented letters as they are part of the author's name. Until then, what should I do?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

I would suggest merging the authors to the accented versions (using copy-and-paste), being sure you don't lose any information in the process.

[Lisa]

Rivka, I'm not sure that they'll merge. Maybe you're talking about a way I don't know? Please instruct. I'm sure I tried that ages ago and then assumed would have to wait for the AKA option.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Jose Smith can be merged with José Smith just by copy-and-pasting "José Smith" onto the edit page for Jose Smith and saving the edited profile. No?

[Lisa]

Ok Rivka. Thanks. I'm sure that you're right. I'll have to remember that one!!!

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Of course, I am assuming that Mr. Smith actually writes his name with an accént, and has not Americanized it to the unaccented version. ;)

[Lasairfiona]

Will the search work properly if someone searches for the unaccented name?

edit: A quick search on one name says yes. Someone with more time should double check this.

[Anna]

I've got a question: when I add or edit data about a Polish author, can I use some Polish letters like ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

If the author's books show their name that way, I would.

[Lee (of Shalott)]

To accent or not to accent?
Recently I was putting diacritics on some authors when to my surprise I found a popular/prolific author that was missing them. The profile had been changed by a super-librarian not to include the diacritics. Since the database is accent-specific, I am wondering if we are no longer putting the accents on or if we are to continue to do it?
I would think we should be but since I am a mere 'librarian' I need advice. Thanks, guys!

[rivka, Former Moderator]

In general, I look at their covers and go with the majority. If most (or all) of their covers I have it, I would include it.

The one exception to that rule: GR Author program members who don't (or do!) specifically want an accent mark in their profile name.

[Lee (of Shalott)]

rivka wrote: "In general, I look at their covers and go with the majority. If most (or all) of their covers I have it, I would include it.

The one exception to that rule: GR Author program members who don't (or..."

thanks rivka - i'm not sure how to universally change pema chodron & chogyam trungpa (who are both 'always' spelled with ö) when there are still a couple in the database with ö in them (i can't find them though in pema's case it says there are still 2 with ö). i don't want to lose data on those 2 if i change pema's profile to Pema Chödrön...

[rivka, Former Moderator]

I fixed both of those.

[Keith]

The main problem with diacritics in the name field is that the majority of imports are going to mangle them, thereby continually creating new authors that need to be merged with the "canonically correct" spelling. And most users are going to look or search for the spelling without diacritics simply because those are easier to type. This aside from the fact that, in transliterated languages like the Tibetan which is the source for Chögyam Trungpa, even the version with diacritics isn't really canonically correct.

I made a longer post in this linked thread thread about the issue of diacritics in the author name field, but the short version is that, in at least the case of authors who predominately write in the English language, I suggest that we should consider leaving the diacritics out of the name field, and include them in the description instead.

(Of course, this whole issue could be obviated by the long awaited author-alias feature, by which we could link Chögyam Trungpa with Chogyam Trungpa, ཆོས་ རྒྱམ་ དྲུང་པ་, Chos rgyam Drung pa, Dorje Dradül, etc.)