diff --git a/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py b/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py
index 48d2b4cb..4b1f6e58 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/connectors/abstract_connector.py
@@ -177,9 +177,10 @@ class AbstractConnector(AbstractMinimalConnector):
 
     def get_or_create_author(self, remote_id, instance=None):
         """load that author"""
-        existing = models.Author.find_existing_by_remote_id(remote_id)
-        if existing:
-            return existing
+        if not instance:
+            existing = models.Author.find_existing_by_remote_id(remote_id)
+            if existing:
+                return existing
 
         data = self.get_book_data(remote_id)
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py b/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py
index 225174c8..c15277f8 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/connectors/openlibrary.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class Connector(AbstractConnector):
             Mapping("born", remote_field="birth_date"),
             Mapping("died", remote_field="death_date"),
             Mapping("bio", formatter=get_description),
+            Mapping("isni", remote_field="remote_ids", formatter=get_isni),
         ]
 
     def get_book_data(self, remote_id):
@@ -226,6 +227,13 @@ def get_languages(language_blob):
     return langs
 
 
+def get_isni(remote_ids_blob):
+    """extract the isni from the remote id data for the author"""
+    if not remote_ids_blob or not isinstance(remote_ids_blob, dict):
+        return None
+    return remote_ids_blob.get("isni")
+
+
 def pick_default_edition(options):
     """favor physical copies with covers in english"""
     if not options:
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/author.py b/bookwyrm/models/author.py
index ce0d027c..5cc11afd 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/author.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/author.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class Author(BookDataModel):
     def isni_link(self):
         """generate the url from the isni id"""
         clean_isni = re.sub(r"\s", "", self.isni)
-        return f"https://insi.org/isni/{clean_isni}"
+        return f"https://isni.org/isni/{clean_isni}"
 
     @property
     def openlibrary_link(self):
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/author/author.html b/bookwyrm/templates/author/author.html
index c2355955..6e93d313 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/author/author.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/author/author.html
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
         </div>
         {% if request.user.is_authenticated and perms.bookwyrm.edit_book %}
         <div class="column is-narrow">
-            <a href="{{ author.local_path }}/edit">
+            <a href="{% url 'edit-author' author.id %}">
                 <span class="icon icon-pencil" title="{% trans 'Edit Author' %}" aria-hidden="True"></span>
                 <span class="is-hidden-mobile">{% trans "Edit Author" %}</span>
             </a>
@@ -73,23 +73,29 @@
             {% endif %}
 
             {% if author.openlibrary_key %}
-            <p class="my-1 is-flex is-justify-content-space-between">
+            <p class="my-1">
                 <a itemprop="sameAs" href="{{ author.openlibrary_link }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
                     {% trans "View on OpenLibrary" %}
                 </a>
                 {% if request.user.is_authenticated and perms.bookwyrm.edit_book %}
-                <button class="button is-small" type="button">{% trans "Update from OpenLibrary" %}</button>
+                <form name="ol-update" method="POST" action="{% url 'author-update-remote' author.id 'openlibrary.org' %}">
+                    {% csrf_token %}
+                    <button class="button is-small" type="submit">{% trans "Update from OpenLibrary" %}</button>
+                </form>
                 {% endif %}
             </p>
             {% endif %}
 
             {% if author.inventaire_id %}
-            <p class="my-1 is-flex is-justify-content-space-between">
+            <p class="my-1">
                 <a itemprop="sameAs" href="{{ author.inventaire_link }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
                     {% trans "View on Inventaire" %}
                 </a>
                 {% if request.user.is_authenticated and perms.bookwyrm.edit_book %}
-                <button class="button is-small" type="button">{% trans "Update from Inventaire" %}</button>
+                <form name="ol-update" method="POST" action="{% url 'author-update-remote' author.id 'inventaire' %}">
+                    {% csrf_token %}
+                    <button class="button is-small" type="submit">{% trans "Update from Inventaire" %}</button>
+                </form>
                 {% endif %}
             </p>
             {% endif %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
index 3a7b1cbc..cdfbdf98 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
@@ -93,10 +93,12 @@
                 {% if book.openlibrary_key %}
                 <p>
                     <a href="{{ book.openlibrary_link }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">{% trans "View on OpenLibrary" %}</a>
+                    {% if request.user.is_authenticated and perms.bookwyrm.edit_book %}
                     <form name="ol-update" method="POST" action="{% url 'book-update-remote' book.id 'openlibrary.org' %}">
                         {% csrf_token %}
                         <button class="button is-small" type="submit">{% trans "Update from OpenLibrary" %}</button>
                     </form>
+                    {% endif %}
                 </p>
                 {% endif %}
                 {% if book.inventaire_id %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index 697028b7..6e53ef2a 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -425,15 +425,26 @@ urlpatterns = [
     re_path(r"^resolve-book/?$", views.resolve_book, name="resolve-book"),
     re_path(r"^switch-edition/?$", views.switch_edition, name="switch-edition"),
     re_path(
-        rf"{BOOK_PATH}/update/(?P<connector_identifier>[\w\.]+)?$",
+        rf"^{BOOK_PATH}/update/(?P<connector_identifier>[\w\.]+)?$",
         views.update_book_from_remote,
-        name="book-update-remote"
+        name="book-update-remote",
+    ),
+    re_path(
+        r"^author/(?P<author_id>\d+)/update/(?P<connector_identifier>[\w\.]+)?$",
+        views.update_author_from_remote,
+        name="author-update-remote",
     ),
     # isbn
     re_path(r"^isbn/(?P<isbn>\d+)(.json)?/?$", views.Isbn.as_view()),
     # author
-    re_path(r"^author/(?P<author_id>\d+)(.json)?/?$", views.Author.as_view()),
-    re_path(r"^author/(?P<author_id>\d+)/edit/?$", views.EditAuthor.as_view()),
+    re_path(
+        r"^author/(?P<author_id>\d+)(.json)?/?$", views.Author.as_view(), name="author"
+    ),
+    re_path(
+        r"^author/(?P<author_id>\d+)/edit/?$",
+        views.EditAuthor.as_view(),
+        name="edit-author",
+    ),
     # reading progress
     re_path(r"^edit-readthrough/?$", views.edit_readthrough, name="edit-readthrough"),
     re_path(r"^delete-readthrough/?$", views.delete_readthrough),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index b399b90a..837b1257 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ from .imports.manually_review import (
 )
 
 # misc views
-from .author import Author, EditAuthor
+from .author import Author, EditAuthor, update_author_from_remote
 from .directory import Directory
 from .discover import Discover
 from .feed import DirectMessage, Feed, Replies, Status
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/author.py b/bookwyrm/views/author.py
index 838d1c2b..2acb3b19 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/author.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/author.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def update_author_from_remote(request, author_id, connector_identifier):
     connector = connector_manager.load_connector(
         get_object_or_404(models.Connector, identifier=connector_identifier)
     )
-    author = get_object_or_404(models.Book.objects.select_subclasses(), id=author_id)
+    author = get_object_or_404(models.Author, id=author_id)
 
     connector.update_author_from_remote(author)