importing ISBNs

peiponenko
I've tried to import a number of different books by ISBN and receive an error message that they are not found. It says: "Zotero could not find a record for the specified identifier. Please verify the identifier and try again."

It cannot find any ISBNs whatsoever.

Submitted a bug report with Report ID: 549752356

  • adamsmith
    We always need examples, even if nothing works.
  • peiponenko
    Here's an example: 9781601789921
  • Extended6116
    I've also had the same issue. Today I tries importing about 250+ books from one site to Zotero via the listed ISBN in the Add by Identifier function, and about 60+ of them got the same error. Below are the list of unaccepted ISBN's (hope this is helpful!):

    9781647431624
    9781035042210
    9781529910568
    9781072300328
    9781781259191
    9781508550228
    9781935150664
    9781911709527
    9781684222032
    9781963956238
    9781963956214
    9780061725906
    9780007320769
    9780008305703
    9781529902402
    9780061661198
    9780143111726
    9781472141941
    9781591841661
    9781717736406
    9780312254216
    9780984470037
    9781507203668
    9781780936918
    9781529382075
    9780141029818
    9780674032453
    9780691178677
    9780715651216
    9781631492228
    9781785043208
    9781734961928
    9781398508323
    9789090335230
    9789401463980
    9781949183245
    9781949183047
    9781951385798
    9781951385712
    9781951385156
    9781951385019
    9781951385958
    9781250076519
    9781529075922
    9781476749730
    9781509560660
    9781612196213
    9781788738262
    9781922491541
    9781922491343
    9788243011687
    9781631494123
    9781601789921
    9788282263023
    9780241653975
    9781526665034
    9780773513280
    9781639734641
    9780008492847
    9788243015661
    9781408878729
    9781800191198
    9781542449045
    9780316497176
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 11 days ago
    @Extended6116: No, you should not expect to be able to import hundreds (or even dozens) of ISBNs at once. Unlike with DOIs, there's no central repository of ISBN metadata, and the biggest source, WorldCat, uses strict anti-bot measures. Even with improved support for saving from WorldCat in the Zotero beta, you're still likely to be blocked if you try to save that many ISBNs at once.
  • Extended6116
    edited 11 days ago
    I didn't import them al simultaneously, but rather one after another manually, if that makes a difference. And it was spread out somewhat evenly across the list, rather than all at the end.

    In the case of anti-bot measures being the cause of the error, would later attempts make a difference? Or are such issues to be addressed by using other means than the ISBN?
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 11 days ago
    If you're doing them in a pattern roughly approximating a human, the Zotero 10 beta may help.
  • ameeso
    Same issue here.
    Various ISBNs coming up with the same error. 'Lookup failed'

    Just as a control, I resorted to trying the Harry Potter books as those are as common as muck, and still im having the same issue with those, so the issue definitely is not with the ISBNs.

    9781781100219 - Philosopher's Stone
    9781781100226 - Chamber of Secrets

    I'm on Version 9.0.2, but the issue was present on the previous version prior to me updating.

  • dstillman Zotero Team
    @ameeso: Same answer as above. The Zotero 10 beta works around recent stricter anti-bot measures from WorldCat.
  • ameeso
    @dstillman: Thanks for that reply and the advice! The latest beta is working when importing those ISBNs, among others. I'll stick with the beta for now.
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 9 days ago
    Zotero 9.0.3, available now, should more reliably fetch ISBN metadata. If you've been having trouble, try updating to that.
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