Linking between libreries

dchapman · 07-08-2025, 08:28 PM

Good day.

Is there a way I can link books between libraries in Calibre?
For instance, I I have a work by Marie Curie. The text is in French so I would like to have a copy in both my Science Library and French Language library without storing multiple copies of the same book.

I know of virtual libraries. I'm not sure that this is a good solution for this problem.

Thanks,

Sirtel · 07-08-2025, 08:37 PM

I'd say a virtual library is exactly what you want - a book can be in multiple virtual libraries while only having one copy in calibre.

BetterRed · 07-08-2025, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dchapman

Good day.

Is there a way I can link books between libraries in Calibre?
For instance, I I have a work by Marie Curie. The text is in French so I would like to have a copy in both my Science Library and French Language library without storing multiple copies of the same book.

I know of virtual libraries. I'm not sure that this is a good solution for this problem.

Thanks,

Why do you have separate Science and French Language libraries?

BR

dchapman · 07-09-2025, 04:36 PM

I have several libraries. Computer, Finnish Language, Fiction, French Language, German Language, Homemaking, Italian Language, Science, Spanish Language, & Spiritual, each with several hundred or a few thousand books. I found library management was easier when they were divided up.
I'm not sure how I would go about converting to virtual libraries. Would I merge all of them into one library then build the virtual libraries? Could I make a Science virtual library consisting of all the books in the Science Library? Same with the other libraries?
Thanks,

Sirtel · 07-09-2025, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dchapman

I'm not sure how I would go about converting to virtual libraries. Would I merge all of them into one library then build the virtual libraries?

Yes.

Quote:

Could I make a Science virtual library consisting of all the books in the Science Library? Same with the other libraries?
Thanks,

Yes. The simplest way is to tag all the books in the Science library with a tag not used elsewhere, then copy them to the main library. The same with other books in other libraries. After all of them have been merged, you can build the virtual libraries based on those tags.

dchapman · 07-09-2025, 05:18 PM

Thank you so much!
I'll give this a try.

theducks · 07-09-2025, 08:31 PM

Remember to use Copy To Library, not Add Books. That preserves your existing work (Updated metadata is no normally embeded INTO the book, so ADD would just use what is there.
OTOH CtL will not update existing data if the book also exists in the Target.

Preferences: Adding Books: Adding Actions (a tab) lets you set what to do.

retiredbiker · 07-09-2025, 09:52 PM

Spend some time thinking about the logical divisions you want at the end of the project. A library based on language can contain any subject, while a specific subject book (say, "C# Programming") can be in any language. Be very careful to know what your apples and oranges are!

Many years ago I began using two main physical libraries, fiction and non-fiction. I do this because there is nearly no cross-over and my tagging requirements for the two are completely different.

Within each one I use a smallish set of tags, as simple as possible, one or two words. That way I can combine them in searches or virtual libraries an just about any way imaginable: do a search for Science Fiction, hit virtual library, then do a search for mystery, VL, then Mars...and I have my list of sci-fi mysteries set on Mars.

(I tried hierarchical tags and about went crazy with the combinations and permutations. Others like it. Perhaps it depends on how your brain works.)

Now I've got something like 50k entries, not all of them actually books, and I can find just about anything I want pretty quickly. So it has worked well for years.

dchapman · 07-10-2025, 03:03 AM

Thanks for the replies.
I merged all libraries into one. I retained the old libraries putting the new library on a different drive. Just over 22,000 books.
However.
I messed up. I forgot to tag the Fiction Library before I copied it. So I can still tag the fiction books in the old library but how do I mass copy the tags to the new library. Do I have to recopy the library the Find Duplicates and purge?

Thanks,

chaley · 07-10-2025, 07:45 AM

If you forgot only the Fiction library then isn't it the case that any book without a library tag is in Fiction? If so, look for books without any of the other library tags and add the Fiction tag to them.

dchapman · 07-12-2025, 07:01 AM

This worked, thanks. I searched with 'not tags:"=" for all the tags then mar4ked the rest fiction.
Thanks again,

07-08-2025, 08:28 PM	#1
dchapman Member Posts: 20 Karma: 31956 Join Date: Mar 2024 Device: Lenovo Slim 71 Pro x	Linking between libreries Good day. Is there a way I can link books between libraries in Calibre? For instance, I I have a work by Marie Curie. The text is in French so I would like to have a copy in both my Science Library and French Language library without storing multiple copies of the same book. I know of virtual libraries. I'm not sure that this is a good solution for this problem. Thanks,

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07-08-2025, 08:37 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,455 Karma: 239219453 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I'd say a virtual library is exactly what you want - a book can be in multiple virtual libraries while only having one copy in calibre.

07-09-2025, 04:36 PM	#4
dchapman Member Posts: 20 Karma: 31956 Join Date: Mar 2024 Device: Lenovo Slim 71 Pro x	I have several libraries. Computer, Finnish Language, Fiction, French Language, German Language, Homemaking, Italian Language, Science, Spanish Language, & Spiritual, each with several hundred or a few thousand books. I found library management was easier when they were divided up. I'm not sure how I would go about converting to virtual libraries. Would I merge all of them into one library then build the virtual libraries? Could I make a Science virtual library consisting of all the books in the Science Library? Same with the other libraries? Thanks,

07-09-2025, 05:18 PM	#6
dchapman Member Posts: 20 Karma: 31956 Join Date: Mar 2024 Device: Lenovo Slim 71 Pro x	Thank you so much! I'll give this a try.

07-09-2025, 08:31 PM	#7
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,043 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Remember to use Copy To Library, not Add Books. That preserves your existing work (Updated metadata is no normally embeded INTO the book, so ADD would just use what is there. OTOH CtL will not update existing data if the book also exists in the Target. Preferences: Adding Books: Adding Actions (a tab) lets you set what to do.

07-09-2025, 09:52 PM	#8
retiredbiker Evangelist Posts: 450 Karma: 3886916 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kindle KB, Oasis, Pop_Os!, Kobo Forma	Spend some time thinking about the logical divisions you want at the end of the project. A library based on language can contain any subject, while a specific subject book (say, "C# Programming") can be in any language. Be very careful to know what your apples and oranges are! Many years ago I began using two main physical libraries, fiction and non-fiction. I do this because there is nearly no cross-over and my tagging requirements for the two are completely different. Within each one I use a smallish set of tags, as simple as possible, one or two words. That way I can combine them in searches or virtual libraries an just about any way imaginable: do a search for Science Fiction, hit virtual library, then do a search for mystery, VL, then Mars...and I have my list of sci-fi mysteries set on Mars. (I tried hierarchical tags and about went crazy with the combinations and permutations. Others like it. Perhaps it depends on how your brain works.) Now I've got something like 50k entries, not all of them actually books, and I can find just about anything I want pretty quickly. So it has worked well for years.

07-10-2025, 03:03 AM	#9
dchapman Member Posts: 20 Karma: 31956 Join Date: Mar 2024 Device: Lenovo Slim 71 Pro x	Thanks for the replies. I merged all libraries into one. I retained the old libraries putting the new library on a different drive. Just over 22,000 books. However. I messed up. I forgot to tag the Fiction Library before I copied it. So I can still tag the fiction books in the old library but how do I mass copy the tags to the new library. Do I have to recopy the library the Find Duplicates and purge? Thanks,

07-10-2025, 07:45 AM	#10
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,440 Karma: 8012886 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	If you forgot only the Fiction library then isn't it the case that any book without a library tag is in Fiction? If so, look for books without any of the other library tags and add the Fiction tag to them.

07-12-2025, 07:01 AM	#11
dchapman Member Posts: 20 Karma: 31956 Join Date: Mar 2024 Device: Lenovo Slim 71 Pro x	This worked, thanks. I searched with 'not tags:"=" for all the tags then mar4ked the rest fiction. Thanks again,