[Wactclc-alma] ACQ Question regarding Amazon searching

[Thomas, Kirsti]

I haven't heard about this from my acquisitions staff yet.  All my words in response to this are 4-letter ones.


Kirsti S. Thomas
Library Technical Service Manager
Seattle Colleges
kirsti.thomas at seattlecolleges.edu



From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> On Behalf Of Paula Laine
Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2020 13:57
To: wactclc-alma (wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu) <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: [Wactclc-alma] ACQ Question regarding Amazon searching

I think Amazon changed the way their front page search works. I usually search by ISBN and Amazon has always linked me to the specific item with that ISBN. Now the ISBN links me to a FRBRized kind of title page with all the editions and formats attached to it. It takes too long to find my specific ISBN in that mess. I have to click on the different editions, and scroll down until I hit the ISBN. Nope? Go on to the next one.

I spent over an hour on chat this morning (yes I missed our meeting) and I believe MAYBE the tech understood what I was talking about. Here is the test I gave her:
Your librarian has handed you an order card with the title “We Are Displaced” and the ISBN 9780316529488. Search the Amazon database by ISBN. How long does it take to find the ISBN the librarian wants in that mess? (Hint: you will get a result, but Amazon does not have this edition in stock)

I asked for some kind of parameter that would do an exact ISBN search. I asked to escalate twice. I wrote an email to Jeff Bezos.

Someone, somewhere made a big change to the searching strategy and it is awful.

It’s not just me, right? I know Seattle orders from Amazon. Has anyone noticed anything?

Paula Laine
Bellevue
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