Goodreads Librarians Group discussion

Learning here. The Avon edition I have in my possession is not listed with the correct ISBN. When I try to change it for that edition I get an error message. Do I need to add a new edition? How do I accomplish this?

MomToKippy wrote: "Learning here. The Avon edition I have in my possession is not listed with the correct ISBN. When I try to change it for that edition I get an error message. Do I need to add a new edition? How ..."

What is the ISBN on your edition?

0380761327 for this edition:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

1) Please DO NOT change an edition with a valid ISBN to a different ISBN.
2) An edition with your ISBN (and a different cover) already exists. Sounds like you need an alternate-cover edition: http://www.goodreads.com/help/show/85...

So the edition associated with the ISBN I gave you has a different cover and different publication date than the one I have in hand. These can still have the same ISBN number then correct?

Two books can have the same ISBN (always an error but it does happen).

The existing edition with the isbn numbers is left alone--an alternate cover edition is then made for the edition also using the isbn (the isbn number is not put into the isbn fields but is detailed in the alternate cover edition description and in librarian note as explained/formatted in the link Rivka just gave).

A very common reason for creating an alternate cover edition is an edition getting a new book cover but managing somehow to re-use the same isbn number.

I understand the alternate cover process -thank you. I will do that. I guess I am just trying to understand if this is actually an error or not. I am reading other sources like isbn.org also. So, my question is: if the same publisher produces another printing of the same book but with a different cover and different year - should the isbn be different or not?

MomToKippy wrote: "if the same publisher produces another printing of the same book but with a different cover and different year - should the isbn be different or not? ."

No, not necessarily. It's not an error to reuse ISBNs, publishers do it all the time. A LOT.

D.A.-bully victims suffer more than a ★ on their commercial product wrote: "Two books can have the same ISBN (always an error but it does happen)."

If the format is the same it is not an error. Just annoying to those of us who try to catalog books.

Thank you!