Guide to Collections Management with calibre (Touch / Glo / Mini /Aura)

[kevenv]

Originally Posted by Liesse

Hmm, thanks. So what I should probably do is manually specify shelves, rather than letting Calibre make them automatically based on series. It doesn't seem like too much more work than setting up my Calibre metadata.

Does this sound right? I delete the 'series' part from the Kobo driver shelves bit in preferences, leaving just 'myshelves.' Then all I need to do is set the 'myshelves' column in Calibre to whatever shelf I want that books to go into and let Calibre work its magic.

I only have "myshelves" specified as well as create shelves selected to it's right. I then manually set the shelf name I wanted to use. You can select all of the books in a series and change / assign a shelf name one time, doing all of them at once (select all the books and then select "edit metadata"). It automatically opens to the custom metadata page. Type in the shelf name and hit apply.

[sayedie]

hi. I just got my Kobo Glo today and immediately raided Project Gutenberg in order to figure out the Calibre shelf management system so helpfully posted here (thanks!)

I spent several hours banging my head on my desk trying to figure out my bookshelves aren't showing up and I'm totally stumped at this point. some debug is pasted below, shortened to include only 1 book per Bookshelf for brevity's sake. hoping someone can help out.

I've triple checked the settings and it's set up exactly like in the OP. I realized at one point that while the Library view had my Shelf names in it, the "Custom metadata" drop down in the Edit metadata menu for each item had nothing selected, so I set the shelf names there too. then I deleted the files on the device and re-sent - still no shelves showing up.

calibre Debug log
calibre 0.9.12 isfrozen: True is64bit: False
Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1 Windows ('32bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '7', '6.1.7601')
Python 2.7.3
Windows: ('7', '6.1.7601', 'SP1', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Starting up...
Started up in 4.71 seconds with 73 books
Job: 1 Get device information started
DeviceJob: 1 Get device information done, calling callback
DeviceJob: 1 Get device information callback returned
Job: 2 Get list of books on device started
DEBUG: 0.0 KoboTouch:books - oncard='None'
DEBUG: 0.0 KoboTouch:books - prefix='None'
DEBUG: 0.0 Version of driver: (2, 0, 4) Has kepubs: True
DEBUG: 0.0 Version of firmware: 2.3.1 Has kepubs: True
DEBUG: 0.0 [u'#myshelves', True, True, True, True, True, True, False, False, True, False, u'']
DEBUG: 0.0 KoboTouch:books - set_debugging_title to
DEBUG: 0.0 KoboTouch:books - length bl=0
Job: 1 Get device information finished
No details available.
DEBUG: 0.3 KoboTouch:books - length bl after sync=73
DEBUG: 0.3 KoboTouch:books - reading device database
DEBUG: 0.3 Database Version=68
DEBUG: 0.3 KoboTouch:books - shelf list: [u'PG Classics', u'Young Adult', u'Sherlock Holmes', u'Arabian Nights']
DEBUG: 0.3 KoboTouch:books - query= select Title, Attribution, DateCreated, ContentID, MimeType, ContentType, ImageID, ReadStatus, ___ExpirationStatus, FavouritesIndex, Accessibility, IsDownloaded, Series, SeriesNumber from content where BookID is Null and Accessibility <> 6 and IsDownloaded in ('true', 1) and not ((___ExpirationStatus=3 or ___ExpirationStatus is Null) and ContentType = 6)
DEBUG: 0.4 KoboTouch:books - automatically managing metadata
DEBUG: 0.5 KoboTouch:books - about to sync_booklists
DEBUG: 0.5 USBMS: starting sync_booklists
DEBUG: 0.9 USBMS: finished sync_booklists
DEBUG: 0.9 KoboTouch:books - have done sync_booklists
DEBUG: 0.9 KoboTouch:books - end - oncard='None'
DEBUG: 0.9 KoboTouch:books - oncard='carda'
DEBUG: 0.9 KoboTouch:books - Asked to process 'carda', but do not have one!
DEBUG: 0.9 KoboTouch:books - oncard='cardb'
DEBUG: 0.9 KoboTouch:books - Asked to process 'cardb', but do not have one!
DeviceJob: 2 Get list of books on device done, calling callback
DeviceJob: 2 Get list of books on device callback returned
Job: 3 Send metadata to device started
DEBUG: 1.0 KOBO: started sync_booklists
DEBUG: 1.1 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - oncard='main'
DEBUG: 1.1 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - set_debugging_title to
DEBUG: 1.1 KTCollectionsBookList:get_collections - start - collection_attributes= [u'#myshelves']
DEBUG: 1.1 KTCollectionsBookList:get_collections - collection_attributes= [u'#myshelves']
DEBUG: 1.1 KTCollectionsBookList:get_collections - end
Job: 2 Get list of books on device finished
No details available.
DEBUG: 2.4 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - category='PG Classics' books=41
DEBUG: 2.4 Do not know ContentID - Title="Andersen's Fairy Tales"
DEBUG: 2.4 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - start
DEBUG: 2.4 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - V2 firmware
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - end for category='PG Classics'
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - category='Young Adult' books=1
DEBUG: 2.6 Do not know ContentID - Title="The Hunger Games"
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - start
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - V2 firmware
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - end for category='Young Adult'
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - category='Sherlock Holmes' books=12
DEBUG: 2.6 Do not know ContentID - Title="The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans"
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - start
DEBUG: 2.6 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - V2 firmware
DEBUG: 2.7 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - end for category='Sherlock Holmes'
DEBUG: 2.7 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - category='Arabian Nights' books=19
DEBUG: 2.7 Do not know ContentID - Title="The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01"
DEBUG: 2.7 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - start
DEBUG: 2.7 KoboTouch:get_content_type_from_extension - V2 firmware
DEBUG: 2.8 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - end for category='Arabian Nights'
DEBUG: 2.8 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - managing bookshelves and series.
DEBUG: 3.1 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - about to clear empty bookshelves
DEBUG: 3.1 KoboTouch:delete_empty_bookshelves - start
DEBUG: 3.5 KoboTouch:delete_empty_bookshelves - end
DEBUG: 3.5 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - Number of series set=0 Number of books=73
DEBUG: 3.6 KoboTouch:update_device_database_collections - Finished
DEBUG: 3.6 USBMS: starting sync_booklists
DEBUG: 4.0 USBMS: finished sync_booklists
DEBUG: 4.0 KOBO: finished sync_booklists
DeviceJob: 3 Send metadata to device done, calling callback
DeviceJob: 3 Send metadata to device callback returned
Job: 3 Send metadata to device finished
No details available.
ITUNES.shutdown()

[sayedie]

Well, for whatever reason, shortly after I posted the Kobo froze, restarted, the shelves showed up but the books were all corrupt, I factory reset AGAIN, synced with Calibre, and all was happy. all before a moderator could approve my first post!

who knows! at least it works!

edit: I'm really confused by the first-post rules. in case the one I already wrote doesn't show up, I had followed all of the instructions in the OP but the shelves just weren't showing up on my Kobo Glo, so I posted with a debug log asking for help. I guess my device just needed to have a little freak out before it decided to work.

Thanks for the shelf management tips!

[AliciaNunz]

Although I created shelves in Calibre (great directions!) they do not show up on my Kobo Mini. I have to create the shelves manually. But, when I connect my reader to Calibre again and load more books, my shelves are still on the reader but they are empty!! Mt metadata management is set to Manual Management. Any ideas?

[PeterT]

Change Metadata Management to AUTOMATIC

[AliciaNunz]

Thanks Peter!! I'll see what happens

[AliciaNunz]

It didn't work Peter. My books that I had set up in shelves all deleted again when I connected my Kobo to Calibre. I noticed that Metadata Management AUTOMATIC says "disabled when device connected". Is that normal?

[AliciaNunz]

UPDATE..........................I FIXED IT!!!!!!!! Thanks for your help

[sirtao]

Originally Posted by AliciaNunz

UPDATE..........................I FIXED IT!!!!!!!! Thanks for your help

Could you explain how? As a reference for future people with the same problem

[AliciaNunz]

Certainly!! In the Preferences:Advanced:Pluginsevice Interface Plugins double-click on Kobo Touch. Check Create Bookshelves Hit OK and Apply. That is the one missing step.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by PeterT

With the new Kobo driver introduced with calibre 0.9.1, there has been some confusion over how to automate the management of shelves.

The steps I use are the following

Driver / calibre Configuration

1. Added a custom column to calibre
   • Preferences | Change Calibre Behaviour | Add your own columns
   • Select Add custom column
   • Select Tags in Quick create
   • I used Lookup Name myshelves and Column heading My Shelves
   • Do make sure this column is of type Comma separated text, like tags, shown in the tag browser
2. Configured the Kobo Touch driver
   • Preferences | Advanced | Plugins
   • Expand Device Interface plugins section and look for KoboTouch driver
   • With KoboTouch highlighted, select Customize plugin
   • In the area for shelf info, type #myshelves, series.
     (Any time a custom column is used within calibre, it HAS to be referenced with a # symbol in front of it.)
   • Select any other relevant options

Now, when you edit the metadata for a book, look for the Custom Metadata area (where it is found depends on the view you are using). In the field My Shelves type in whatever shelves you want the books to be placed.

If you do as I did and also add series to the driver options, a shelf will be created automatically for each book series, and the books added to that shelf.

Configuring calibre's Metadata Management options

calibre has three options as to when it updates Metadata on the device. This also affects when the shelves are managed on the Kobo.

This option is managed as follows:

• Preferences | Import/Export | Sending books to devices
• The Metadata management selection has three options
  • Manual management: Calibre updates the metadata and adds collections only when a book is sent. With this option, calibre will never remove a collection.
  • Only on send: Calibre updates metadata and adds/removes collections for a book only when it is sent to the device.
  • Automatic management: Calibre automatically keeps metadata on the device in sync with the calibre library, on every connect
• As can be seen from the descriptions, for full functionality of the Kobo driver, set the Metadata management to either Only on send or Automatic management. From my experience, I have seen the easiest option to be Automatic management.
  
  If the option is set to Manual management, shelves will NEVER be removed.

Changing Book Titles to include Series Info

One probably also wants to change book titles to include Series info. That gets done via what is called a "metadata plugboard". Through these you are able to modify items like the book's title or author as it gets transferred to your device.

Goto Preferences | Import/Export | Metaboard plugboards

It looks complex, but is not.

On the line that reads Add new plugboard do the following

• In the box Format (choose first) select epub
• in the Device (choose second) box select KOBOTOUCH
• In the Source Template the magic happens . Here you have a lot of options
  • To modify the book's title to <Series> - <Number> - <Title> type

    {series}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title}

  • To modify the book's title to <Number> - <Title> type

    {series_index:0>2s|| - }{title}

  • To modify the book's title to <First Letter of Each word in Series> - <Number> - <Title> type

    {series:re(([^\s])[^\s]+(\s|$),\1)}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title}

• Finally in Destination Field select title

Once all that is done, take a DEEP breath and hit the Save Plugboard button and then the Apply checkmark at the top of the screen.

You will find a lot more discussion of these over in the calibre Library Management forum with more examples in this thread.

Peter I do have a question regarding the shelf creation regarding series. Where you use "series" can that be changed to include "author" as well or any other configuartion? Also if you change "series" to "Authors" would that create a shelf based on the Authors?

Thanks

Jack

[PeterT]

Correct to all of those.

This was just an example of how I used to use plugboards etc. With the recent addition of the native Series support on the Kobo(s) I am currently leaving the Title alone and not overriding it ny adding Series and Series_Index to it.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Correct to all of those.

This was just an example of how I used to use plugboards etc. With the recent addition of the native Series support on the Kobo(s) I am currently leaving the Title alone and not overriding it ny adding Series and Series_Index to it.

I just wanted to say thanks for your turtorial on creating shelves with Calibre. It Definately does save massive amounts of time to do it this way as opposed to doing it by hand. The series support is just phenonemal this way as well. Thank you for your insight into this.

regards

Jack

[volpo]

I am using a Touch with v2.1.5 of the firmware (until a proper new version comes out) and have followed the instructions in the 1st post to set up series info. The books are already on the Touch. Do I have copy them over again to see the series info?

Thanks,

V

[Mrs_Often]

Originally Posted by volpo

The books are already on the Touch. Do I have copy them over again to see the series info?

Thanks,

V

Yes Calibre adds the series info to the title of the books when they're copied over.