Calibre as Catalog?

[jekkii]

Hi everybody,
i am new here, and with calibre as well.
Till now i used a simple ebook-archiever (1,9MB), this: http://depositfiles.com/files/xmgx3g3nr
It uses MS Access.
The situation: i have a lot of ebooks on cd/dvd. With the archiever mentioned above i have "catalogized" the books. Although the archiever is nice but it is pretty rudimentory, that's why i'd use calibre.
My question: is it possible to use calibre as an "only catalog" as well, i.e. to "add" books in calibre (title, and other book details ...) without copy the bookfile itself anywhere.
Thank in advance.
Best regards

[Manichean]

You'd have to add each book manually by adding it as an empty book through the dropdown menu. And you'd lose much of the benefits of Calibre (conversion, device management, ...). Still, it's doable.

[itimpi]

Yes.

Click on the down arrow at the right of the Add Books icon on the main toolbar, and one of the options is to add a book entry with no associated ebook file. You can then edit the metadata and cover as required.

If you later want to an ebook format to this record to be stored on the calibre library, this is done via the Edit Metadata dialog.

[jekkii]

Thank you guys/girls.
If i understood well, in my case i have to add each book (as empty) manually and afterwards edit the metadata. It would be a terrible job at more than 10k titles to make it one by one. It means (?), it is not possible to scan my cd's/dvd's and get so called the list of my books (with details).
Or, it just came to my mind, what about adding books to library normally, and afterwards deleting the books themselves but not the metadata ??

[Maggie-Me]

Originally Posted by jekkii

Thank you guys/girls.
If i understood well, in my case i have to add each book (as empty) manually and afterwards edit the metadata. It would be a terrible job at more than 10k titles to make it one by one. It means (?), it is not possible to scan my cd's/dvd's and get so called the list of my books (with details).
Or, it just came to my mind, what about adding books to library normally, and afterwards deleting the books themselves but not the metadata ??

Just curious, why would you want an empty library in Calibre, at the very least if you loaded all you would have a backup of all your books.

[jekkii]

How i said, i have all my books on CD/DVD. If i want to choose a book in order to read i would like to know a liitle bit more about it, not only the title. Now, if i add my books in calibre, the software will copy all the books somewhere (library resp. reading device). I don't need this copy on disc, because i do already have all the books saved on CD/DVD.

[Maggie-Me]

Originally Posted by jekkii

How i said, i have all my books on CD/DVD. If i want to choose a book in order to read i would like to know a liitle bit more about it, not only the title. Now, if i add my books in calibre, the software will copy all the books somewhere (library resp. reading device). I don't need this copy on disc, because i do already have all the books saved on CD/DVD.

Not to discourage you on Calibre but maybe you would be better off with this program..

http://alfaebooks.com/

Alfa Ebooks Manager allows you quickly scan your computer to find ebooks. You can select specific folders on your PC and file types. The e-book organizer will automatically detect books, retrieve ISBN and create a book list that you can check, update and save to the database. It will also find duplicates if file already exists in the database. Besides, Alfa Ebooks Manager can automatically create cover thumbnails and retrieve file metadata for most popular e-book types.

I don't think the program copies books to database

[jekki]

Exactly, what i have looked for.
Thank you very much!
Anyway, this software is very similar to that i mentioned above (archiever), but of course (the graphical user interface) much better, and there is a free version as well.
The calibre is a much more universeller than alfaebook manager (as for the free version), and if this kind of catalog-option were implemented, it would be the greatest ebook manager ever.

[Gary_M_Mugford]

I am using Calibre to manage paper books, as it happens. The key, of course, is a hand scanner that lets you read the ISBN barcodes on the books. It basically takes a minute or two to create the blank, scan in the ISBN, add the PB or TP tag code and then download the metadata. Like you, I have a considerable library (I bought the house from the parents because it was cheaper to build them a retirement home than move my books ... and there wasn't space for them AND my books [G]).

At any rate, the task, whatever the program, is a little daunting. But here's the big secret ... that's what kids are for. Each has to scan in a hundred books a week. I'll eventually have to go back to work on the hardcovers and sundry collected ephemera from before the barcode was universal. But in the meantime, I have my 'library' almost into Calibre, leaving me some interesting factoids. Like the 11 different books I own in some format or the other that have the title Masquerade. The six different copies of John Carter of Mars, all but one in paper format. It's REAL easy to just go burrowing through Calibre, when you SHOULD be off doing something productive ... to earn the money to pay the kids to ...

Well, you get the drift. Get the scanner, they are often available for sub 100 bucks. Best thing you could possibly do.

GM

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I had thought about getting a scanner (I've seen some for as little as $10) but I have limited space and it would be a hassle to dig it out and hook it up everytime I wanted to use it. It's just about as fast to just type in the ISBN. Besides, I have a lot of older books that don't have a barcode to scan (many don't even have an ISNB).

[jekki]

To tell the truth i am still not so satisfied with the "alfa ebooks manager" i thought i would be. The software CANNOT SEPARATE author and title from the filename (only if *.epub and *.lrf). Further you can't add individual columns, and to edit more books at the same time is possible only for three given parameters. The only advantage is, that the (on a CD) scanned books will not be copied anywhere.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Gary_M_Mugford

I am using Calibre to manage paper books, as it happens. The key, of course, is a hand scanner that lets you read the ISBN barcodes on the books. It basically takes a minute or two to create the blank, scan in the ISBN, add the PB or TP tag code and then download the metadata. Like you, I have a considerable library (I bought the house from the parents because it was cheaper to build them a retirement home than move my books ... and there wasn't space for them AND my books [G]).

At any rate, the task, whatever the program, is a little daunting. But here's the big secret ... that's what kids are for. Each has to scan in a hundred books a week. I'll eventually have to go back to work on the hardcovers and sundry collected ephemera from before the barcode was universal. But in the meantime, I have my 'library' almost into Calibre, leaving me some interesting factoids. Like the 11 different books I own in some format or the other that have the title Masquerade. The six different copies of John Carter of Mars, all but one in paper format. It's REAL easy to just go burrowing through Calibre, when you SHOULD be off doing something productive ... to earn the money to pay the kids to ...

Well, you get the drift. Get the scanner, they are often available for sub 100 bucks. Best thing you could possibly do.

GM

Tip:
Do small batches (15-20 books), Stack them in order to later resolve problems that surface

Open Notepad
And scan your books EAN (the ones that start:978) there, or type the ISBN if your books do not have EAN (ISBN-13). if the SBN/ISBN did not show one.

Also note older books did not always include the leading 0 or the check digit, but may have coded the price (441-17575-095) on the end
Select All (ctrl-a) Copy

Use the "Add from ISBN" selection on the Add Books arrow.: Paste from clipboard.
No need to open an empty book first.

tip2: before you start: preferences: Look and Feel: Tags to add: [In Paper Library]

Very brisk Meta-data fetch happens.
Now resolve the issues:
1) count the books piled and verify the same number of records were created (bad ISBN coded on book? fingers?) set aside the 'missing' item.
2) Edit the 'Unknowns' (the reason for the ordered pile becomes clearer now).
3) Fix the imported Naming 'your way'

Now manually add empty books for the ISBN-less books and any problem that the scan missed.

If possible,Get a (used?) Commercial grade Laser Hand Scanner (thin red line), not a Steel Wand or a cheap CCD, contact type (red 'flood' light).
Also note: you probably want a USB 'Keyboard wedge' connection (or PS2 only if you have a PS2 keyboard and port)
A used 'Symbol LS4000' should be about $50 and is the workhorse of checkout stands everywhere

900 PB books done so far .