MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Managing your library or how you consume books

Xenophon · 08-31-2010, 11:24 AM

I keep my entire eLibrary (~1200 books) on the microSD card on my nook. Although HarryT's observation about the utility of file-and-folder access on-device is correct, he's wrong about it being the best option (IMHO).

Because I both use calibre to track, tag, and maintain my eLibrary, and also have softrooted my nook, I am able to use an access method that is even better than files-and-folders: OPDS-based catalog access.

Instead of one hierarchical view of my library (as provided by files-and-folders), I have five -- by author, by title, by series, by tag, and by date-added-to-library. Each of these views offers hierarchical drill-down, so that I can reach an individual book in only a few clicks. This style of access really rocks. It essentially gives me library-card-catalog style access to my entire library. (OK, I admit that I don't have a subject index, even though the OPDS format is perfectly capable of representing one. I just haven't tried to get that much detail into my calibre meta-data.)

Tools needed are calibre and calibre2opds on your computer, plus trook on your soft-rooted nook. On the computer, calibre2opds reads the calibre database, produces the opds catalog, and copies both catalog and books onto the nook. Trook reads the opds catalog on the nook, provides navigation through the catalog, and launches the appropriate built-in reader software when you select a book to read.

Note that OPDS is the nascent standard for presenting catalogs (of books) to devices and users. Any device maker should be able to build OPDS file support into their device. In fact, when you visit an on-line vendor of books in Stanza you're looking at an OPDS catalog. The only thing that's different about the catalogs I'm using is that the links are 'file:' links instead of 'http:' links; all else is the same.

I argue that on-device OPDS files are the right way -- indeed the best available way -- for reader device-makers to support presentation of on-device content. The files are straight-forward to produce. And users who want to access larger libraries and/or have more sophisticated information about their books would have a perfectly reasonable way to get what they want. Without needing additional work from the firmware developers! Everybody wins!!!

Xenophon

08-31-2010, 11:24 AM	#31
Xenophon curmudgeon Posts: 1,487 Karma: 5748190 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500	I keep my entire eLibrary (~1200 books) on the microSD card on my nook. Although HarryT's observation about the utility of file-and-folder access on-device is correct, he's wrong about it being the best option (IMHO). Because I both use calibre to track, tag, and maintain my eLibrary, and also have softrooted my nook, I am able to use an access method that is even better than files-and-folders: OPDS-based catalog access. Instead of one hierarchical view of my library (as provided by files-and-folders), I have five -- by author, by title, by series, by tag, and by date-added-to-library. Each of these views offers hierarchical drill-down, so that I can reach an individual book in only a few clicks. This style of access really rocks. It essentially gives me library-card-catalog style access to my entire library. (OK, I admit that I don't have a subject index, even though the OPDS format is perfectly capable of representing one. I just haven't tried to get that much detail into my calibre meta-data.) Tools needed are calibre and calibre2opds on your computer, plus trook on your soft-rooted nook. On the computer, calibre2opds reads the calibre database, produces the opds catalog, and copies both catalog and books onto the nook. Trook reads the opds catalog on the nook, provides navigation through the catalog, and launches the appropriate built-in reader software when you select a book to read. Note that OPDS is the nascent standard for presenting catalogs (of books) to devices and users. Any device maker should be able to build OPDS file support into their device. In fact, when you visit an on-line vendor of books in Stanza you're looking at an OPDS catalog. The only thing that's different about the catalogs I'm using is that the links are 'file:' links instead of 'http:' links; all else is the same. I argue that on-device OPDS files are the right way -- indeed the best available way -- for reader device-makers to support presentation of on-device content. The files are straight-forward to produce. And users who want to access larger libraries and/or have more sophisticated information about their books would have a perfectly reasonable way to get what they want. Without needing additional work from the firmware developers! Everybody wins!!! Xenophon