Import custom fields from proprietary catalogue

Hello,

I am looking to import my 6000 books into LibraryThing for my TinyCat library. My CSV contains several custom columns from my proprietary system that I want to move over into TinyCat. If I include the ISBN, then none of the custom columns come over. Most of the posts I have found are old and I am hoping this is resolved. Can anyone help?

Thanks so much and be well,
Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,

You can import at least some custom data, hopefully, but you must follow LibraryThing's custom .csv import file on the Universal Import page (https://www.librarything.com/import). You can download the sample .csv file on the right side of the Universal Import page, so you can follow the file format exactly. Please read over our Help page for how to format your .csv file to match our sample import file: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/HelpThing:Import.

If you wish to delete your imported items before re-importing them (I'd recommend this, as long as you haven't customized your imported records too much already), you can do this en masse via the "Your books" page Power Edit feature. (You can use your Power Edit function—the lightning bolt button—in the "Your books" page anytime you need to update tags, Collections, perform mass deletions, etc.)

Check out our HelpThing for detailed instructions: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/HelpThing:Your_Books/Power_Edit, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

I hope this helps. Welcome to LibraryThing and TinyCat!
Kristi at LT

Thanks! I have read through the template CSV but when I try to add additional columns, nothing comes through - or I don't know where to look! I think I am misinterpreting how this is done. Is there a step-by-step example? When I include ISBN, it seems to pull from Amazon and leave all the rest behind.

Be well,
Cheryl

Yes, if you include the ISBN it will pull the data from your source, not your personal data. You cannot add extra columns to the import.

If you have custom data that you want to import you'll need to move them to other fields that are supported, like the Comments and Private Comments fields.

Thanks very much!

Is there a way to bulk add the ISBN afterward? Or is there a way to bulk merge based on title or another unique identifier?

Does LT offer a service to do a more complex import?

-Cheryl

jjwilson61 I am not seeing those custom fields supported in the sample csv. Is there a more detail on the full list of fields that are available?

That is the full list of fields that are available for import.

>7 chandsaker: I took my old data that was in my old spreadsheet system, combined a bunch of the fields into one field and then imported into the "comments" field. At least the data was there. You will then have to manually "cut and paste" the part of the data in "comments" into the field you want it to be placed in the LT record.

This is not trivial. I imported something like 6000 or 7000 records like that. Slowly but surely I have moved the data around but I'm not even close to being finished. At least I can search the data and not lose it!! That is what >5 jjwilson61: is recommending you do.

Added: Now I see your concern. Comments and private comments is no longer in the sample csv doc included in the instructions. Something has changed. >2 kristilabrie:. Can you check the sample CSV? It used to include "comments" and that is what I used back when I imported all my data in 2012 and 2013.

Thanks so much! And does anyone have a workaround for the unfortunate situation with the ISBNs? A way to import with them keeping custom fields OR updating them after the fact?