Confusion over library use.

[dtakahashi]

Good Day!
I am a new user, so please pardon my asking a question that may have been asked and answered.

I am trying to use libraries to place my ebooks into useful categories. I am using the calibre library as my current reading list, and as books get read I move them into libraries. I am running 0.9.6 and I am seeing only 12 libraries in the Quick Switch menu (not the reported 24). I can go to switch/create and use the existing library to include one NOT listed in the list of 12.
I see in this forum that we are advised to use a single library, and create shelves (not unlike shelves in a library) using tags. This I certainly can do, but the problem I see is keeping the tags remembered as time goes on. Having them in the Quick Switch means I know what libraries to choose from.

What I am trying to accomplish is being able to see the tree from the forest. I am willing to copy and delete all my books in their libraries back into the calibre library, and then apply tags, but I want to make sure this is what best practices dictate.

The reason I found this is I finished a book and was going to copy/delete it to its appropriate library, but the library was not listed. I thought it had been deleted somehow, but it is there. I scratched my head awhile and tried the switch to existing library and it appeared in the quick switch and copy to library list.

Please advise.

Thanks

[theducks]

The list allows only a few of the most recent to appear on the 'Quick Switch' list. The Libraries still exist.


Consider making a custom column: 'Read" (there are various threads discussion type and usage). Then you can use filters (saved searches) to only show #read :true or (Not) #read:false

Create the colums in all Libraries: Use the Bulk Metadata editor to Populate the Read column: THEN Merge back into the main Library

[Dopedangel]

If you are tagging books by genre you should use the tag browser it will allow you to separate your books no need for different libraries something like I do.

[meeera]

Along with appropriate tagging, you could also use a plugin like Reading List to manage your reading list. No need to create all these different libraries.

[travger]

Next to the search bar is a space that says 'Restrict to'. I have not needed to use it so far, but if I understood correctly, restriction works like sub-library - all operations you do will be applied only to that restricted part (like, if you restrict to 'Romance' and then search for Asimov, you won't find anything).

I think this should work:
1. select a library
2. apply a tag (with library name maybe) to all the books
3. copy all books to the main library
4. search for the new tag
5. save that search and name it with library name

I myself lean rather heavily into custom columns (+ some coloring) so I would have probably just made a new 'Library' or 'Category' column.
Tried, but couldn't imagine why I should need several libraries - exept for testing different setups.

[dtakahashi]

I took the advice offered here and changed my libraries into custom column metadata using the existing tutorial 'Managing subgroups of books, for example genre' as my playbook. I then went ahead and used the view restrictions to create some views, and I used the View Manager plugin to create a default view which only shows books I am currently reading: Genre = Current.

What I really, really like about this suggested approach is that it is actually an improvement over my organization of printed books. What using a custom column with tags allows me to do is include a book in several collections without duplicating the book! Its simply awesome! For instance, a new book can be both current AND whatever category it will be when I finish reading it, I simply will change the metadata Genre tag to remove Current and I am good to go!

I want to thank everyone that contributed answers to my conundrum, I think I used all the suggestions in the end!