diff --git a/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py b/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py
index 8d2e9f15..17525349 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py
@@ -326,3 +326,11 @@ def infer_physical_format(format_text):
         if not matches:
             return None
         return matches[0]
+
+def unique_physical_format(format_text):
+    """ only store the format if it isn't diretly in the format mappings"""
+    format_text = format_text.lower()
+    if format_text in format_mappings:
+        # try a direct match, so saving this would be redundant
+        return None
+    return format_text
diff --git a/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py b/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py
index 7f724d74..5177f665 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import re
 
 from bookwyrm import models
 from .abstract_connector import AbstractConnector, SearchResult, Mapping
-from .abstract_connector import get_data, infer_physical_format
+from .abstract_connector import get_data, infer_physical_format, unique_physical_format
 from .connector_manager import ConnectorException
 from .openlibrary_languages import languages
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class Connector(AbstractConnector):
             Mapping("publishedDate", remote_field="publish_date"),
             Mapping("pages", remote_field="number_of_pages"),
             Mapping("physicalFormat", remote_field="physical_format", formatter=infer_physical_format),
-            Mapping("physicalFormatDetail", remote_field="physical_format"),
+            Mapping("physicalFormatDetail", remote_field="physical_format", formatter=unique_physical_format),
             Mapping("publishers"),
         ]