[emellaich]

I can see I created more confusion than help, sorry -grin.

I am answering in regard to Windows because its what I know. So anyway you add a book to Calibre by pushing the "Add books" button. This pulls up a Windows dialog box and you browse to a location on your disk and select the book(s) you want to add to the library.

When you add a book, Calibre does not touch the copy of the book you add. The file stays unchanged on the disk at the location where it was. Calibre copies the file into a new directory.

This new directory is just another location on the hard disk. You originally tell Calibre which directory to use for its library. Then it places all of its files in sub-directories below that directory.

Since these are all standard Windows directories you can browse to them use the windows file manager. If the original file was in a Sony or mobipocket library it is still there and it is not touched.

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, it creates its own directory structure within the desktop library? Does that have any effect on the directory structure within the Sony Reader?

yes,no

Originally Posted by Rique

When you say "it leaves the original book where it is", I am assuming you mean "where it is" on the computer? It does not alter the location of the original file on the PC? Yes?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, Calibre's folder hierarchy is not packaged in an internally managed binary - it can be accessed on the computer, making use of the standard Windows (or Mac) folder structure?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, Calibre's library must be "read" with Calibre, separately from the Sony library or the Adobe Digital Edition's Library? Each maintains and addresses such libraries separate from the other.

Yes each maintains their library separately. However, you can get to the books by browsing through the standard folder structure.

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, that each library has its own copy of the book? Yes?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rique

To clarify, I will not be maintaining the same books in differing libraries. I will have a set of books from Sony, a set of books from ADE, and a set of books from Calibre (acquired from Fictionwise and other sources requiring a conversion). My primary concern is the effect (or lack of same) to the Reader.

Calibre does not actually synch stuff. It sends things to the reader. The reason this is important is that Calibre doesn't assume that the reader only has contents from Calibre. Therefore, you can add things to the reader from many different sources.

However, if any of your other book managers try to synch things then you may have more of a mess. They may try to copy in any books that are not already in their software.