Want to see ALL my calibre libraries, not just the books in one library!

[LGSCorp43]

stole the attached jpeg from someone a few months ago and have been trying to, like the source of the pic, display all my libraries on the home/main screen.. intend to use virtual libraries, tags, etc. once the libraries are displayed.
Cannot find the setting!! thought it should be in Preferences/Look&Feel.

What am I doing wrong?

[DNSB]

That looks like a screen capture from a web connection to the content server not the main calibre screen. Personally, I only have two libraries (Intake where books are imported, metadata, covers, etc. fixed and Main where books are moved after the import process. An image of my web connect screen is attached.

As for the sample image you attached, that number of libraries is ridiculous.

[pypeke]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Personally, I only have two libraries (Intake where books are imported, metadata, covers, etc. fixed and Main where books are moved after the import process. An image of my web connect screen is attached.

As for the sample image you attached, that number of libraries is ridiculous.

Can you please explain why you have 2 libraries? I read that you fix Metadata, covers, etc in the Intake library, what is your reasoning? I am just now learning Calibre so I am curious. Thanks.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pypeke

Can you please explain why you have 2 libraries? I read that you fix Metadata, covers, etc in the Intake library, what is your reasoning? I am just now learning Calibre so I am curious. Thanks.

I have two libraries. One for the original eBook. The other for the eBooks that I edit and fix up/convert/shift to read. That way I have the original as it and the others is where I make all the changes. I do edit the eBooks because most publishers have no idea who to format an eBook properly.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by pypeke

Can you please explain why you have 2 libraries? I read that you fix Metadata, covers, etc in the Intake library, what is your reasoning? I am just now learning Calibre so I am curious. Thanks.

Intake is my 'dirty metadata' Library
Dirty means there is a ton of extra (cr*p) tags, series name variations (or those that need help so they do not clash with a similar one in the main Library.

In General, Intake is the place where you beat things into submission before merging them with the Main Library.

Basic Reason: When you 'delete' or 'Change' in a DB, those entries don't always go away...Just marked inactive. Over time, the DB grows bulky (Library Maintenance does a Vacuuming step to housekeep)

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by theducks

Intake is my 'dirty metadata' Library
Dirty means there is a ton of extra (cr*p) tags, series name variations (or those that need help so they do not clash with a similar one in the main Library.

In General, Intake is the place where you beat things into submission before merging them with the Main Library.

Basic Reason: When you 'delete' or 'Change' in a DB, those entries don't always go away...Just marked inactive. Over time, the DB grows bulky (Library Maintenance does a Vacuuming step to housekeep)

How do you know what the series name should be if the series is in a separate library? Do you just remember?

I've found that to be the greatest obstacle to having a separate intake library. I can't look up what the author/series name should be when that author/series in not in the same physical library.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

How do you know what the series name should be if the series is in a separate library? Do you just remember?
.

In my case: My Main Computer (the i7) (shown, there are 2 more monitors to the right of the phone for the Intake computer)
<What can I say... I'm a hardware junky> (Used to do Computer relocation services, one guy had 7 Monitors on his desk (3 computers)

But You can also use your Browser with the content server looking at your Main.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by theducks

But You can also use your Browser with the content server looking at your Main.

Yeah, I've thought about it. But I prefer doing everything in my main library, as that's the way I'm used to doing it. It's faster (I almost never have the server running, so I'd have to start it, then to log in... too much time.)

[BetterRed]

You can use the CalibreSpy plugin to view [read only] the metadata for many libraries simultaneously with or without running Calibre itself.

BR

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

You can use the CalibreSpy plugin to view [read only] the metadata for many libraries simultaneously with or without running Calibre itself.

BR

That plugin no longer works correctly (unless it's been fixed?) - nothing can be customized. Yes, I know that it can still be used in the read-only mode, but after it became read-only I always got so annoyed trying to use it that I stopped. In those few instances I need some information from another library I use the server; and I do my edits in the main library, so I can just search the library to look something up.

Of course everyone must find the solution that suits them best, and those solutions can be quite different.

[jaraxle]

I am curious about this as well. I have multiple libraries I have setup, like Fantasy, SciFi, Hobbies, Magazines, Training, etc.
Yes I know I can click on the button along the top and drop down and select the library I want. It would be nice if there was a way to have a list of the libraries on the left hand side.
Currently I have the left side hidden as I personally have no use for the options listed but is there a plugin or setting somewhere I can select?
Something like a Windows explorer type of setup?
I love Calibre, and its a program I use a lot.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by jaraxle

I am curious about this as well. I have multiple libraries I have setup, like Fantasy, SciFi, Hobbies, Magazines, Training, etc.
Yes I know I can click on the button along the top and drop down and select the library I want. It would be nice if there was a way to have a list of the libraries on the left hand side.
Currently I have the left side hidden as I personally have no use for the options listed but is there a plugin or setting somewhere I can select?
Something like a Windows explorer type of setup?
I love Calibre, and its a program I use a lot.

You may want to use virtual libraries instead of separate physical libraries. You can have virtual libraries as tabs on the tab bar above the book list and hop between them just by clicking on a tab.

[Karellen]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

How do you know what the series name should be if the series is in a separate library? Do you just remember?

I've found that to be the greatest obstacle to having a separate intake library. I can't look up what the author/series name should be when that author/series in not in the same physical library.

Yep, this ^^
Though I have never thought of it as an obstacle, I just could not see a reason to do it.

I have one library. I "Add book with no format" and manually fill in the metadata, then drop in the ebook file, or leave the entry as a stub file if the book is a "want to read" entry. I use the drop down boxes to select the correct author, series and publisher.

But I am not adding hundreds of books a week. Sometimes none, sometimes two or three a week. All easily managed at the time of adding.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by jaraxle

I am curious about this as well. I have multiple libraries I have setup, like Fantasy, SciFi, Hobbies, Magazines, Training, etc.
Yes I know I can click on the button along the top and drop down and select the library I want. It would be nice if there was a way to have a list of the libraries on the left hand side.
Currently I have the left side hidden as I personally have no use for the options listed but is there a plugin or setting somewhere I can select?
Something like a Windows explorer type of setup?
I love Calibre, and its a program I use a lot.

You could put the libraries into the Favorites menu (plugin) and access that from the library context menu:



BR

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

How do you know what the series name should be if the series is in a separate library? Do you just remember?

I've found that to be the greatest obstacle to having a separate intake library. I can't look up what the author/series name should be when that author/series in not in the same physical library.

For the most part I just remember. I will double check against the Main library when something looks wrong but that is relatively rare. Recently was one series when for some unknown reason, the latest book in the series added a The to the series name. The other series was the latest entry in Wen Spencer's Elfhome/Tinker series. On Kobo, the first 6 books up to Harbringers are listed as The Tinker Series whereas book 7 (Storm Furies) was listed as book 6 in the Elfhome series. Amazon is even more screwed up as can be told from the 3rd image where it seems some are in The Tinker Series, some are in the Elfhome series and book 3 in series (Elfhome) doesn't even get a series.