Using Edition for Audiobooks

[Vic]

I've been updating the books entries for audio books my group has on its group shelf. I've been adding the following information in this field for audios and it works well when viewing the book details. - - <# Cds / Audio Length

Some examples:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71...

Examples 2:
"Unabridged - 1 MP3-CD / 7 hours"
"Unabridged - Library Ed - 1 MP3-CD / 7 hours"
"Unabridged - 6 CDs / 7 hours"

Could we put this kind of information in the manual?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Based on many previous discussions, that's not currently-accepted policy. Information about # of cassettes and length belongs in the description, not the edition field -- although that is where abridged/un- and other edition info go.

We also use length to assign a "page" number.

[Vic]

OK, thanks.

[Cait]

Should we revisit the page numbers as hours policy, since we have percentages available now?

[Vic]

I guess that guidance wasn't clear from the manual which I was using as a primary reference.

I personally don't feel putting number of CDs or Cassettes is obvious when put in the page numbers field but maybe that is just me. Also the guidance for Edition field while entering the information is "Information specific to this edition" and to me all the information I put in the Edition field conforms to that. Also, that information is much more clear when viewing the book details instead of being in the description. This is especially true if the the length is put at the END of the description and you have to expand it to even see this information but that is just IMHO. Some people have read the book and listen to the audio (I'm one) so I'm going to be less likely to look at the full description and stumble upon the # of CDs/Cassetes - Length of audio information. I am willing to bow to majority decision.

Issue I had with putting length of audiobook in the description is then you can't use the default description that would be updated whenever the default was updated.

Those are just my thoughts. I was getting my information directly from the publisher links for the audio.

Thanks!

[Cait]

Vic wrote: "Issue I had with putting length of audiobook in the description is then you can't use the default description that would be updated whenever the default was updated."

Hmm. That's a good point!

[Vic]

Cait wrote: "Should we revisit the page numbers as hours policy, since we have percentages available now?"

I think I misread this and thought the # of CDs/Cassettes in # pages was to go there. Looking at the book details before becoming librarian it would never have occurred to me that the # pages field for audios would be number of hours. But I'm probably not the sharpest tool in the shed. ;)

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Cait wrote: "Should we revisit the page numbers as hours policy, since we have percentages available now?"

We did when percentages was introduced, and a LOT of audiobook readers wanted it to stay anyway.

[Vic]

I would suggest adding something to the manual then in a section specific to audiobooks.

....

Title - Should match the title of the book/language version

Author(s) - The main authors of the book should be added individually first. Then narrators of the audiobook should be added individually with the role of (Narrator or Reader).

ISBN/ASIN - ASIN field can be used for Audible Download editions. This value is to be taken from the amazon site itself and not the value that is sometimes in the audible.com (an amazon company) URL.

Format:
Audio CD - for all audiobooks on CD
Audio Cassette - for all audiobooks on cassette
MP3 CD - for all audiobooks on MP3 CD
Audiobook - for digital audiobook downloads and Playaway
Other / MP3 Book - for B&N digital audiobook downloads

Edition: Should include Unabridged or Abridged. Additional information to be included here would be Collector's Ed, Library Ed, Playaway, Audible Download.

examples:
Unabriged - Library Ed
Abridged - Collector's Ed
Unabridged - Audible Download
Unabridged - Playaway


Number of Page - Number of hours of the recording if known. (Can decimals be included, should it be rounded up, truncated?)

Description - Initialize with the default description or that from the audio publisher. Add details on the number of cds or cassettes and total length of the recording at the top of the description, if known. Adding this to the top will allow it to be seen without having to see more of the description.

Examples:
1 MP3-CD / 7 hours
6 CDs / 7 hours

.....

This is just a suggestion and should be edited to include any other rules/guidance already decided here that I'm not aware of. I'm just throwing this up there as a template to start with so I'm not just saying someone else should do some work. I do think it would be nice as a separate section.

I appreciate everyone's hard work to maintain the library and certainly want to do my part. :)

[rivka, Former Moderator]

I moved this thread to the Additions to the Manual folder.

Page numbers cannot be fractions or decimals. Most people seem to round up (I do).

[Vic]

Thank you for the comment on page numbers and moving the thread.

[Vic]

Updated my suggested manual insert to include recent discussion on ASINs being used for audible versions.

[Natasa]

Is "Audiobook" the correct edition for something listed as "digital download" on the publisher's website or "downloadable audio file" on major retailers'? I'm trying to make a new edition but thought I'd check in here first...

Publisher's:
http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/books/bit...

Retailers':
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Bitte...
http://www.word-power.co.uk/books/bit...

[rivka, Former Moderator]

I'd set the format to audiobook, and the edition to digital download.

[Natasa]

Thanks!