How do I fix massive amounts of broken metadata?

laserbeam · 10-31-2010, 05:31 AM

Hello everyone,

Here's the problem... a couple days ago a friend of mine gave me a DVD with about 1500 ebooks, which, compared to my 100 I had until now, is quite a lot. The problem is that only about 200 of them got their metadata right... or at least calibre figured out by it's self what to do with them, the other are pretty much way broke.

Common metadata problems (as seen in calibre):

Author is way of (sometimes a number or pg. xyz)
Both author and title appear in the title column
My computer username appears sometimes as the author
It's totally broke, like neither author nor title have anything to do with the book (at least not in a way that makes sense)

Any ideas of how I could fix these? Downloading metadata an covers didn't really seem to work for the majority of the books there (still over 1000 with problems).

Thanks.

itimpi · 10-31-2010, 06:19 AM

When you imported the books did you have calibre set to try and take the metadata from inside the file, or from the filename? If the internal metadata is in such a mess taking it from the filename might give better initital results. However that would involve removing the current books and re-importing the books from the original files.

Other than that, I think you will have to work through the books one at a time cirrecting and improving the metadata.

laserbeam · 10-31-2010, 07:04 AM

It tried to take them from inside the files... I will give it another try from the filename on a different library when I get home and compare the results...

Manichean · 10-31-2010, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laserbeam

It tried to take them from inside the files... I will give it another try from the filename on a different library when I get home and compare the results...

Remember that you might have to change the relevant regular expression in the preferences to correctly read the metadata. Your folder structure may vary from what Calibre assumes by default.

laserbeam · 10-31-2010, 09:08 AM

aammm... ok... thanks.... that means I pretty much have to fix every book... there are basically more than one directory structures there... and I have yet to identify them all (the guy who made the DVD is pretty much an idiot...).

But leaving that aside, if I mix up the author and the title, does calibre know (using the internet of course) to switch them?

Manichean · 10-31-2010, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laserbeam

But leaving that aside, if I mix up the author and the title, does calibre know (using the internet of course) to switch them?

Not generally. If the book has an ISBN in its metadata and the catalogs Calibre accesses have metadata for that ISBN, then Calibre will be able to get correct metadata. If there is no ISBN and title/author are changed or wrong, Calibre has no way of knowing which book it is and thus cannot find metadata.

10-31-2010, 05:31 AM	#1
laserbeam Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Romania Device: sony prs 505	How do I fix massive amounts of broken metadata? Hello everyone, Here's the problem... a couple days ago a friend of mine gave me a DVD with about 1500 ebooks, which, compared to my 100 I had until now, is quite a lot. The problem is that only about 200 of them got their metadata right... or at least calibre figured out by it's self what to do with them, the other are pretty much way broke. Common metadata problems (as seen in calibre): Author is way of (sometimes a number or pg. xyz) Both author and title appear in the title column My computer username appears sometimes as the author It's totally broke, like neither author nor title have anything to do with the book (at least not in a way that makes sense) Any ideas of how I could fix these? Downloading metadata an covers didn't really seem to work for the majority of the books there (still over 1000 with problems). Thanks.

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10-31-2010, 06:19 AM	#2
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	When you imported the books did you have calibre set to try and take the metadata from inside the file, or from the filename? If the internal metadata is in such a mess taking it from the filename might give better initital results. However that would involve removing the current books and re-importing the books from the original files. Other than that, I think you will have to work through the books one at a time cirrecting and improving the metadata.

10-31-2010, 07:04 AM	#3
laserbeam Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Romania Device: sony prs 505	It tried to take them from inside the files... I will give it another try from the filename on a different library when I get home and compare the results...

10-31-2010, 09:08 AM	#5
laserbeam Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Romania Device: sony prs 505	aammm... ok... thanks.... that means I pretty much have to fix every book... there are basically more than one directory structures there... and I have yet to identify them all (the guy who made the DVD is pretty much an idiot...). But leaving that aside, if I mix up the author and the title, does calibre know (using the internet of course) to switch them?

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