Library books in Calibre?

[ScalyFreak]

I'm using the old Reader Library software, since I've seen people post over and over here that the new one sucks bad. Problem is, so does the old one, especially for library books. It takes several seconds from clicking on a book until I can drag it to my 950, and it's extremely annoying.

Is there a way I can make the library books work in Calibre? I tried, but Calibre can't see them. I'd really prefer not to install ADE if I can avoid it. I have an SSD as the only drive in this laptop, so disk space is a precious commodity.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I don't think that calibre transfer works with library books because of the special time expiration stamp. It's either ADE or Reader Library. I prefer to transfer library books with the Sony software.

[vulcan_girl]

You can add and manage (but not read) library books with calibre, but you have to download the epub to ADE or Reader Library first.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by vulcan_girl

You can add and manage (but not read) library books with calibre, but you have to download the epub to ADE or Reader Library first.

How would I do that? I downloaded all the ePubs (the library lets me check out 6 at a time) and put them in the same folder as all my other eBooks, but they wouldn't add when scanned for. I tried manually adding them one by one but that didn't work either. Do I need a plug-in for Calibre, or is there a setting I'm missing?

[vulcan_girl]

I'm not exactly sure what folder you mean, but I use the Add Books button to add them to Calibre. Make sure you're selecting the epub file from whichever library you downloaded the book to. Once it's in Calibre you can add tags before sending to the Reader.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by vulcan_girl

I'm not exactly sure what folder you mean, but I use the Add Books button to add them to Calibre. Make sure you're selecting the epub file from whichever library you downloaded the book to. Once it's in Calibre you can add tags before sending to the Reader.

I could have sworn that's what I did. Huh.

I'll try again tonight. One of the books sucks, so I'm returning it and borrowing another one instead. I'll try with that new one and report back.

[akais]

I don't know about your library but mine uses Overdrive and the books download as an .ACSM file. The only place I have been able to find them as an .epb file is once they were transferred to the reader. They were in the data\media\books folder if I remember correctly. I don't think Calibre recognizes .acsm files.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by akais

I don't think Calibre recognizes .acsm files.

Of course, that's it. They are acsm, I described them as ePub because they came from the "ePub here" link on the Overdrive page. That makes sense... though it annoys me. But that means if I can make Caliber see acsm files then I can use Calibre for the library books. Off to google!

[Live2Read]

Originally Posted by akais

I don't know about your library but mine uses Overdrive and the books download as an .ACSM file. The only place I have been able to find them as an .epb file is once they were transferred to the reader. They were in the data\media\books folder if I remember correctly. I don't think Calibre recognizes .acsm files.

Hi -

I am a long-time lurker who finally joined because I knew the answer to the OP's question...and you beat me to it. I can maybe add a little bit though.

When you download from the library you do get an .acsm file. Unfortunately, you MUST use either Adobe Digital Editions or Sony Reader Library to open the .acsm file. Opening the .ascm causes the application to download the .epub to your computer (with ADE, for example, the epub lands in \My Documents\My Digital Editions).

So while at that point there is an .epub you could add to your Calibre library for transferring to your device, there's not much point. As vulcan_girl says, you can add and manage (but not read) library books with Calibre (because of the Adobe DRM).

Even though I've had my PRS-350 for less than a year, I'm thinking of getting a PRS-T1 just because of the ability to check out and download library books directly from the device. Crazy.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Live2Read

When you download from the library you do get an .acsm file. Unfortunately, you MUST use either Adobe Digital Editions or Sony Reader Library to open the .acsm file. Opening the .ascm causes the application to download the .epub to your computer (with ADE, for example, the epub lands in \My Documents\My Digital Editions).

So while at that point there is an .epub you could add to your Calibre library for transferring to your device, there's not much point. As vulcan_girl says, you can add and manage (but not read) library books with Calibre (because of the Adobe DRM).

Aha! So all I have to do is open them once in Reader Library and then I can transfer them in Calibre? Perfect. Thanks and karma.

Reader Library works without lag or freezing only when I don't have the 950 connected to my laptop. The moment I plug in my reader, Sony's useless excuse for software becomes so laggy and freez-prone it is barely usable. So I use Reader Library as a bookstore, and managing the library books there as long as I never connect the 950 is easy-peasy. It's just moving them to the 950 that is barely possible with Sony's own software, that's why I wanted Calibre to do the transfer for me.

Originally Posted by Live2Read

Even though I've had my PRS-350 for less than a year, I'm thinking of getting a PRS-T1 just because of the ability to check out and download library books directly from the device. Crazy.

Or you can put PRS+ on the 350 and download directly to it that way?

[Live2Read]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Aha! So all I have to do is open them once in Reader Library and then I can transfer them in Calibre? Perfect.

Exactly. :-)

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Reader Library works without lag or freezing only when I don't have the 950 connected to my laptop. The moment I plug in my reader, Sony's useless excuse for software becomes so laggy and freez-prone it is barely usable. So I use Reader Library as a bookstore, and managing the library books there as long as I never connect the 950 is easy-peasy. It's just moving them to the 950 that is barely possible with Sony's own software, that's why I wanted Calibre to do the transfer for me.

Gotcha. I disliked Sony's software the first time I used it, so went to ADE, which is only marginally better, IMHO. But I don't have any connection/lagging problems with it so I use it exclusively for library books, and Calibre for everything I own.

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Or you can put PRS+ on the 350 and download directly to it that way?

That works? The 350 doesn't have wi-fi....

I've looked a little at PRS+ -- mainly to see if I could have more font size options -- but not enough to have decided whether it would be worth the effort (for me).

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Live2Read

That works? The 350 doesn't have wi-fi...

Pssh. Such a minor detail.


(Whooops... I would have sworn that read 950 when I saw your first post, and the 950 does have wifi. My bad. )

[Live2Read]

-- deleted due to accidental double post --

[Bookworm_Girl]

If you want to return the book early, then calibre can't do that, and you'll need to use ADE or the Sony software.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

If you want to return the book early, then calibre can't do that, and you'll need to use ADE or the Sony software.

Thanks, good to know!

Last time I returned them early in Reader Library, without the 950 plugged in and that worked fine, so I'll just keep doing that. I can use RL for everything but sending the books to the 950, so I'll be all set this way. Thanks again.