Add Item by Identifier ~ ISBN Problems in detail

hemlohk
Report ID: 813076070


ISBNs used:

9780822338215
0525476393
9780631217107
0813519497
---
0813525381 (*)


Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
--
Firefox 4.0.1
----Potentially relevant add-ons:

~AdBlock Plus 1.3.8
~NoScript 2.1.1.2rc1
~Zotero 2.1.8
~~includes Zotero WinWord Integration 3.1

-------------
After searching thoroughly for any answer at all, I decided this was all I had left to do.

Steps:

0.) Restarted Firefox
1.) Opened Zotero tab
2.) Clicked "Add Item by Identifier" icon
3.) Copy and pasted relevant ISBN into entry box
4.) Hit Okay, then immediately received following message: " Zotero could not find a record for the specified identifier. Please verify the identifier and try again. "


I have tested these ISBNs with WorldCat separately, and all come up correctly there.

The above asterisked ISBN is there to denote that it worked, BUT in my attempts to use multiple ISBNs, I included that ISBN for a book which was already entered into my database. (The database itself was imported from EndNote.) The data for that ISBN was also slightly different than what I had already listed, but was otherwise accurate. As this anomaly just so happened to already be entered, I thought mentioning it may be helpful. After that ISBN worked, I tried the others listed again, still without success.

I have not gotten "Add Item by Identifier" to work at all, since switching from EndNote around a month ago. Though to be honest, I only recently decided to learn Zotero after finishing up a paper using EndNote first.

I have whitelisted || file: || for NoScript as recommended. I also have || http://www.worldcat.org || as well as || http://worldcatlibraries.org || whitelisted, in an effort to try and eliminate NoScript from interfering at all. Finally I temporarily allowed everything globally in NoScript just to eliminate it altogether. (I assume it couldn't anyways, but forum posting is an absolute last resort for me. I will try even crazy-#%% things on my own first, in case its a matter of me just not really understanding the big picture.)

I do have the database saved in a custom folder, but again figure that since that is a feature, Zotero shouldn't care about that.

Please let me know if any more information could be helpful. Meanwhile, thank you for your time.
  • adamsmith
    thanks for the report - we know this is broken. If you search for the ISBNs on Worldcat you'll see that there is no Zotero icon on the search results page - that's the problem.
    The reason your asterisked ISBN works is that there is only one search result and single item pages on WorldCat still work.

    Maybe one of the admins could make this sticky?
  • richk03
    Is there any resolve to this problem? I still cannot get it to work on Friefox 5, Win 7 SP1, Zotero 2.1.8?
  • adamsmith
    no, nothing new yet.
  • Steady 63
    Ditto. I'm having this problem too - Win 7 64 Firefox 4
  • ajlyon
    The only reasonable solution is for WorldCat to start putting COinS in their search results again-- otherwise we'd need to completely rewrite the translator. I've reported this via Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ajlyon/status/86757794493108224

    Library people, you may want to contact your people at OCLC and advise them of this. It'll also break support for things like LibX on search result pages.
  • ajlyon
    The folks at WorldCat are now aware of the problem and will see what they can do: http://twitter.com/#!/worldcatorg/status/86821505874399232
  • ajlyon
    WorldCat informs us, via Twitter, that this should be fixed as of July 14. http://twitter.com/#!/worldcatorg/status/89077503565643776
  • ajlyon
    This appears to be working now. If you are still having problems, please post.
  • aschrock
    edited July 13, 2011
    Some but not all ISBNs are working on 7/13. Looks like the same issue... when results turn up one entry, it goes through, but when not, it doesn't.

    I'll try again tomorrow, maybe the fix will kick in tomorrow...

    Working:
    9780674005624

    Not working:
    0671622447
  • ajlyon
    Yes-- it looks like I was a little hasty. Still, we have a day to go before the promised fix is to happen.
  • aschrock
    The non-working ISBNs from yesterday are now working - huzzah!
    Now I can continue to be lazy and add loads of books very quickly ;)
    Thanks for making such a fantastic product.

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