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haertig · 02-15-2023, 12:52 PM

I don't consider removing DRM from the books I buy as curating a library. Although that is indeed an aspect of it I suppose.

I am more worried about preventing the thing that happened to me with B&N. I started out with a Nook. I bought EPUBS. Encrypted. But the Nook displayed those just fine. All was good. Then some years later I switched to a Paperwhite. Those display AZW3 (and other Amazon formats), but not EPUBs. Yes, NOW Amazon has a converter you can use, but they did not THEN. So I learned about de-DRM and converting book formats. That was required to use my new Paperwhite. That, or throw out the books I had already purchased and buy them all over again.

So now, I could go the way of my old B&N thinking and buy (and keep) nothing but encrypted AZW3 files. But then, if my Paperwhite dies and I decide to try a Kobo instead, I'd be stuck again. Since Kobo's can't display AZW3 files to my knowledge, let alone encrypted ones.

So every book I buy now I assure that if it's an AZW3, that I can de-DRM it and convert it to an EPUB. And the reverse for EPUB files that I buy. Even if I don't technically need that converted file right now, I make sure I have it immediately after purchase because you just never know when my Paperwhite might blow up and I find a great sale on Kobo's that makes them more attractive than a replacement Paperwhite.

I don't call this curating a library. But I guess it kind of is. Additionally, I thought it would be a good idea to have a few spare books sitting at the ready, so I would still have things to read if I go bankrupt and have no money to buy books on a just-in-time as-needed basis. Well, over the years "a few spare books" kind of snowballed into a ludicrously sized TBR hoard. "A few spares" was the original intention, but that's not how it (embarrassingly) turned out. Now, I could fund my way out of a bankruptcy if I could find a legal way to sell "those few spare books". Oh well. The money is spent, and it's not coming back. But I am indeed truly set for life when it comes to reading material. So there is some benefit to my madness. There was a point during my buying spree that I realized I was way past a few spares. And then I started justifying my continuing purchases as "buying for life". Not a very good justification I'll admit, but when you're bordering on insane you find lots of ways to justify your bizarre purchasing habits. Am I still buying books? Yes, but very infrequently. My madness is on a path to being cured, or at least mitigated.

02-15-2023, 12:52 PM	#1295
haertig Wizard Posts: 1,927 Karma: 33156336 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: PW3, Galaxy Tab A9+, Moto G7	I don't consider removing DRM from the books I buy as curating a library. Although that is indeed an aspect of it I suppose. I am more worried about preventing the thing that happened to me with B&N. I started out with a Nook. I bought EPUBS. Encrypted. But the Nook displayed those just fine. All was good. Then some years later I switched to a Paperwhite. Those display AZW3 (and other Amazon formats), but not EPUBs. Yes, NOW Amazon has a converter you can use, but they did not THEN. So I learned about de-DRM and converting book formats. That was required to use my new Paperwhite. That, or throw out the books I had already purchased and buy them all over again. So now, I could go the way of my old B&N thinking and buy (and keep) nothing but encrypted AZW3 files. But then, if my Paperwhite dies and I decide to try a Kobo instead, I'd be stuck again. Since Kobo's can't display AZW3 files to my knowledge, let alone encrypted ones. So every book I buy now I assure that if it's an AZW3, that I can de-DRM it and convert it to an EPUB. And the reverse for EPUB files that I buy. Even if I don't technically need that converted file right now, I make sure I have it immediately after purchase because you just never know when my Paperwhite might blow up and I find a great sale on Kobo's that makes them more attractive than a replacement Paperwhite. I don't call this curating a library. But I guess it kind of is. Additionally, I thought it would be a good idea to have a few spare books sitting at the ready, so I would still have things to read if I go bankrupt and have no money to buy books on a just-in-time as-needed basis. Well, over the years "a few spare books" kind of snowballed into a ludicrously sized TBR hoard. "A few spares" was the original intention, but that's not how it (embarrassingly) turned out. Now, I could fund my way out of a bankruptcy if I could find a legal way to sell "those few spare books". Oh well. The money is spent, and it's not coming back. But I am indeed truly set for life when it comes to reading material. So there is some benefit to my madness. There was a point during my buying spree that I realized I was way past a few spares. And then I started justifying my continuing purchases as "buying for life". Not a very good justification I'll admit, but when you're bordering on insane you find lots of ways to justify your bizarre purchasing habits. Am I still buying books? Yes, but very infrequently. My madness is on a path to being cured, or at least mitigated.