ISBN import problem with Ex Libris' PRIMO

Therese-Moeller
At The Royal Library in Copenhagen we are using Exlibris' PRIMO (http://www.kb.dk/rex). After the upgrade to Zotero 4.0.27 ISBN is not included when we are importing metadata using "Save to Zotero using PRIMO". British Library is using PRIMO as well. How did you fix that problem?
Best regards,
Therese
  • zuphilip
    edited August 4, 2015
    I don't think this is related to any update from Zotero and currently 4.0.28 is out. In your PNX data you have
    <display>
    <identifier>$$CISBN$$V9783465036067</identifier>
    which Zotero fails to recognize as an ISBN, because there is no word boundary before the ISBN. But maybe we should also consider the ISBN number in the addata section (I think this section gives normally good data to grab):
    <addata>
    <isbn>3465036069</isbn>
    @aurimasv, @adamsmith: What do you think?

    Moreover, you might want to consider to add showPNX.jsp from ElCommons to your server, because this will allow Zotero to grab also items from PrimoCentral.
  • knut_knab
    OK, thanks.
    We highly recommend also using the ISBN from the addata-section, as (1) we need the specific formatting above in the display-section, and (2) addata isbn (and issn) is used by other reference managers.

    Thanks for the showPNX tip; this already works.

    /Knut
  • adamsmith
    no reason not to try for the ISBN in addate (addata?) -- I think we usually don't rely on addata too much because the fields aren't standardized, but we can certainly try for it if the standard field input fails. I'll just put it in later today.
  • zuphilip
    Sorry, that was a typo from myself, yes, "addata" is correct.

    @adamsmith: Thank you for looking into this.

    I am not sure about your statement in general:
    I think we usually don't rely on addata too much because the fields aren't standardized
    My feeling is, that libraries change and costumized their fields in the display and search section (e.g. all lds?? and lsr?? fields), but not in the addata section. Maybe, my colleagues from Copenhagen can say if they ever touched the addata section in primo?
  • knut_knab
    Hi Zuphilip,

    you're right; the addata section is seldom edited, and data found there are usually very standardized, precisely because they are primarily used for other applications (like ref.managers), for RIS exports etc. Display section data, however, are often heavily customized.

    /Knut
  • adamsmith
    OK, just pushed a fix for this that prefers isbn/issn data in addata over the display/locator data we've been using before.

    As for addata versus display: there is all types of weirdness going on with authors in addata -- and it looks different in every catalog I look at -- I think that was the origin of my skepticism about that data. We're using it for a lot of other fields already anyay.
  • Therese-Moeller
    Thanks a lot for helping us with fixing this problem!
    Best regards,
    Therese
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