PRS-650 First Checkout from Overdrive - Viewing in Calibre?

[ArmadilloPilot]

Today, I found a library to give me a card so I could check E-books. I picked an available book and went to checkout from Overdrive. I was given a option dialog of what software to use for the download, but only Sony Reader was listed. I selected that one and the download went without a hitch. I was able to read the book on my computer. I then connected my 650 and added the book to my device library. I was then able to read the book on the 650. Pretty nice.

Later I turned on calibre and found that I could not access the book on calibre. A message came up claiming a DRM error. Is this normal? Could I have downloaded the book using calibre instead of Sony Reader and then been able to view the book in the Calibre reader? Having only had the Sony for under two weeks, I am still trying to figure out all the intricacies of managing the ebook library.

[delphin]

Yep, that's EXACTLY how it is supposed to work. Welcome to the wonderful world of DRM

As I just commented in another thread, though I am not a fan of DRM when it gets in the way of something that you need to do with a book you have purchased, I think it's reasonable to play by the rules with library books.

If you have a book that is so badly formatted that you feel the need to strip the DRM so you can change the formatting, then you can use one of Alf's DRM stripping scripts or some of the unauthorized third party Calibre plugin's that you can find by Googling around on the web, but please don't ask for specifics here.

The Calibre author has made it very clear that he doesn't want his program associated in any way with programs that remove DRM.

[DixieGal]

It is not your book to store in your collection in Calibre.

[Bookworm_Girl]

If you have a PC, you can only use Adobe Digital Editions or Sony Reader Library to download and transfer library books for your ereader. If you have a Mac, you can only use Sony Reader Library to do the same for library books. I think it's limited to these 2 software packages because they are able to add the time expiration info to the file for the library due-date.

Other DRM books that you have purchased, like from Sony or Borders, can be added to your calibre library and transferred via calibre to your Sony ereader. However, you won't be able to view them or convert them with calibre due to the DRM. Hope that helps!

[khintul]

I use Calibre as a means to keep track of the books I've gotten from the library. As you've discovered, the books cannot be opened with Calibre, but all the info about the book can. What I do is, when I download a book from Overdrive, I do not use the "open with" dialog. I just save the download to my desktop. This only downloads the licensing info of the book, and when I drag that to Calibre the title shows up and I am able to change the metadata within Calibre. Then I open Adobe Digital Editions and drag the download to it, and then the book is there ready to be transferred to my reader.

I do this with Overdrive audiobooks as well. Can't open anything with Calibre of course, but at least it gives me a way to organize the titles and see what I've already read/listened to.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Thanks for sharing your process, khintul. That's very interesting. I use the Reader Library software to transfer library books. But, I also do something similar. I created a collection called "Borrowed Books" to organize them.