Author Search from "X books and X works" on Author Pages Needs Work
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1kristilabrie
The issue: On author pages, we show “you have X books and X works by this author“. That line is a link to search your catalog by the author parameter. For example, https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?author=lucasgeorge.
The issue is that, sometimes, the X books/works listed on author pages is a larger number than the actual search results you get in your catalog. Mainly, because they are listed as an “other” author role for the added books/works listed on the author page, and I don’t believe we’re taking other author roles into account for the author searches in “Your books”. This is confusing, IMHO.
To reproduce:
1. Log in as me (kristilabrie) and go to librarything.com/author/lucasgeorge
2. See “You have 7 books and 7 works by George Lucas.” Click to view the 7 books and 7 works.
3. Get directed to librarything.com/catalog.php?author=lucasgeorge, where there are only 5 search results.
The issue is that, sometimes, the X books/works listed on author pages is a larger number than the actual search results you get in your catalog. Mainly, because they are listed as an “other” author role for the added books/works listed on the author page, and I don’t believe we’re taking other author roles into account for the author searches in “Your books”. This is confusing, IMHO.
To reproduce:
1. Log in as me (kristilabrie) and go to librarything.com/author/lucasgeorge
2. See “You have 7 books and 7 works by George Lucas.” Click to view the 7 books and 7 works.
3. Get directed to librarything.com/catalog.php?author=lucasgeorge, where there are only 5 search results.
2MarthaJeanne
This can also be due to author combination and aliasing.
See Jean Plaidy All my works on that page are by Victoria Holt. Both names are pseudonyms of the same person. The link from the Plaidy page doesn't find the books.
See Jean Plaidy All my works on that page are by Victoria Holt. Both names are pseudonyms of the same person. The link from the Plaidy page doesn't find the books.
3norabelle414
I'm not sure I agree that it's a bug but I agree that it's confusing and could be improved.
However, I'm not sure a lot could be done without an editions layer and the ability to specify which "some editions" other authors are for which editions. Currently the "also by" section of author pages does not have any way to take into account whether the works you have in your library are the editions that this author contributed to or not.
For example, if I go to the author page for Stephen Fry it says "You have 17 books and 9 works by Stephen Fry."
If I click on the link it takes me to https://www.librarything.com/catalog/norabelle414&author=frystephen which shows that I have zero books where Stephen Fry is listed as the main author, which is accurate.
If I then search all fields in my library for Stephen Fry https://www.librarything.com/catalog/norabelle414&deepsearch=stephen+fry I still get zero results, because I actually have zero books in my library that have anything to do with Stephen Fry. What I do have is many paper editions of works for which Stephen Fry is the audiobook narrator. But currently the author page has no way of differentiating between editions that Stephen Fry is associated with, and ones he is not.
However, I'm not sure a lot could be done without an editions layer and the ability to specify which "some editions" other authors are for which editions. Currently the "also by" section of author pages does not have any way to take into account whether the works you have in your library are the editions that this author contributed to or not.
For example, if I go to the author page for Stephen Fry it says "You have 17 books and 9 works by Stephen Fry."
If I click on the link it takes me to https://www.librarything.com/catalog/norabelle414&author=frystephen which shows that I have zero books where Stephen Fry is listed as the main author, which is accurate.
If I then search all fields in my library for Stephen Fry https://www.librarything.com/catalog/norabelle414&deepsearch=stephen+fry I still get zero results, because I actually have zero books in my library that have anything to do with Stephen Fry. What I do have is many paper editions of works for which Stephen Fry is the audiobook narrator. But currently the author page has no way of differentiating between editions that Stephen Fry is associated with, and ones he is not.
4norabelle414
Here's some older topics that discuss this issue with more examples and context:
2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/287644
2015-2016: https://www.librarything.com/topic/190427
2012-2014: https://www.librarything.com/topic/136478
2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/287644
2015-2016: https://www.librarything.com/topic/190427
2012-2014: https://www.librarything.com/topic/136478
5amanda4242
>3 norabelle414: To make it even more confusing:
Stephen Fry's author page says I have 49 books and 43 works by him. When I click that link my library shows only the 14 works I have for which he is the primary author; none of the audiobooks or movies for which I have added him to my copies as an narrator or actor show up. When I search Stephen Fry in my library I get all 33 works to which I have added his name.
There must be a better way to handle this.
Stephen Fry's author page says I have 49 books and 43 works by him. When I click that link my library shows only the 14 works I have for which he is the primary author; none of the audiobooks or movies for which I have added him to my copies as an narrator or actor show up. When I search Stephen Fry in my library I get all 33 works to which I have added his name.
There must be a better way to handle this.
6jjwilson61
>3 norabelle414: If it's telling you that you have books and works by Stephen Fry when all of your editions have nothing to do with Stephen Fry then what it's telling you is a lie, which makes it a bug. It should probably not count other authors when they don't belong to all editions.
