Readers, Filenames and Metadata

[RedCanyoneer]

I have a Nook Color. I have a fair number of books. So I figured I'd try to organize them.

I installed Calibre. It let me edit the metadata in the book. So I uploaded the edited books to my Nook.

It appears I can't sort or edit on metadata info, or even based on the filename of the book.

I'd really like to be able to view my books based on Series Name. I hate reading them out of order. But unless the series order is conveniently listed on the first page of the book, I don't seem to be able to do that.

Is there a way to do this? How does the Nook treat metadata? Is there a reader out there that can use metadata (software, hardware, etc.)? [Stanza looks like it might have, but I don't think there has been any development on it for some time.] I'm even thinking of upgrading to an iPad.

School me on readers, metadata, filenames, etc. Thanks!

[afa]

Sadly, it seems ereaders are currently lacking this ability (although it's been available on MP3 players forever).

For me, I rename the books of series with the title and number preceding the book title. So the five books in A Song of Ice and Fire would be A Song of Ice and Fire #1: A Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire #2: A Clash of Kings, and so on.

Far from ideal, but it's the only way I've been able to organize them.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by RedCanyoneer

I have a Nook Color. I have a fair number of books. So I figured I'd try to organize them.

I installed Calibre. It let me edit the metadata in the book. So I uploaded the edited books to my Nook.

It appears I can't sort or edit on metadata info, or even based on the filename of the book.

I'd really like to be able to view my books based on Series Name. I hate reading them out of order. But unless the series order is conveniently listed on the first page of the book, I don't seem to be able to do that.

Is there a way to do this? How does the Nook treat metadata? Is there a reader out there that can use metadata (software, hardware, etc.)? [Stanza looks like it might have, but I don't think there has been any development on it for some time.] I'm even thinking of upgrading to an iPad.

School me on readers, metadata, filenames, etc. Thanks!

i use calibre. changing the title is not something i like to do and the below steps work more reliably than that.

1. i set the author sort to last, first in preferences.
2. then for each author i set false publication dates in the metadata to newest date first oldest date last to establish the display order when on the kindle.
3. then i upload the files to the k3 with calibre.
4. then when the kindle displays the contents of the kindle in author order it does so by author's last name
5. and then within each author it displays the books in the false pub date order the newest first down to the oldest last.

i just learned about this pub date thing this weekend from one of these mobileread forums [i think the calibre forum] and i don't remember who it was that made that post, duh!

whoops!!! sorry, i got so excited about sharing this new work-a-round i just learned that i neglected the fact that you are not using a k3, again, sorry! duh!

[RedCanyoneer]

afa, I've tried that, it doesn't seem to help. Filename is Series Name - Title Name - AuthorLast, First.epub. My Nook seems to sort by AuthorLast, then Title, with no mention of Series.

[susan_cassidy]

Originally Posted by alansplace

2. then for each author i set false publication dates in the metadata to newest date first oldest date last to establish the display order when on the kindle.

The Kindle does not use publication date in displaying books on the home page.

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by RedCanyoneer

afa, I've tried that, it doesn't seem to help. Filename is Series Name - Title Name - AuthorLast, First.epub. My Nook seems to sort by AuthorLast, then Title, with no mention of Series.

That's because the filename is irrelevant for most ereaders if there is any metadata (heck, my epubs're sent to my Kobo as numbered files by Calibre so that there's no chance of special characters in the filename to cause a storage error). If there's no metadata, then it uses the filename. And from the sounds of things, many ereaders don't use the series metadata tag that you can fill in Calibre, either.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by afa

Sadly, it seems ereaders are currently lacking this ability (although it's been available on MP3 players forever).

For me, I rename the books of series with the title and number preceding the book title. So the five books in A Song of Ice and Fire would be A Song of Ice and Fire #1: A Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire #2: A Clash of Kings, and so on.

Far from ideal, but it's the only way I've been able to organize them.

B&N eReaders lack this ability. Sony eReaders work with Calibre metadata just fine.

Otherwise, good advice.

[RedCanyoneer]

OK, if I recall correctly, you can either store the metadata in an external XML file, or in the epub itself (which is just a zip file with several discreet files contained in it, to include metadata and cover art). Does that make a difference?

And are there any software readers (think iPad) that support metadata (again, specifically series information)?

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

The Kindle does not use publication date in displaying books on the home page.

no it uses it as a secondary sort within 'authors', which i thought i made clear in my post. i apologize if it wasn't clear enough.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by RedCanyoneer

OK, if I recall correctly, you can either store the metadata in an external XML file, or in the epub itself (which is just a zip file with several discreet files contained in it, to include metadata and cover art). Does that make a difference?

And are there any software readers (think iPad) that support metadata (again, specifically series information)?

The Sony line does. The series information (and tags, and anything else you want) is loaded to the reader through Calibre as "Sony Collections" and you can browse through your series, tags, whatever easy as pie.

That's why I bought my (2) Sony readers, actually.

[afa]

Originally Posted by RedCanyoneer

afa, I've tried that, it doesn't seem to help. Filename is Series Name - Title Name - AuthorLast, First.epub. My Nook seems to sort by AuthorLast, then Title, with no mention of Series.

I meant the metadata in Calibre. Not the actual file name.

Originally Posted by anamardoll

B&N eReaders lack this ability. Sony eReaders work with Calibre metadata just fine.

Otherwise, good advice.

Really?? I did not know that...

Why the heck is Sony the only one smart enough to realise this? Can someone please kick B&N in the head?

I know someone who is coming down from US, and I asked them to get me the new Nook Touch... Now I'm wondering if I should have asked for the new Sony, instead. (Although I'm not sure if it's even out, yet.)

[anamardoll]

I'm wondering the same thing afa. What's especially weird is that Sony isn't marketing the heck out of this relatively unique and VERY powerful feature on their models.

I seriously believe that the people making and marketing eReaders are not heavy users of same. Because this is obvious stuff to you and me.

[Hellmark]

It drove me nuts when I was setting up the nook I got my mom. I figured I'd drop on some CC and Public Domain books, so she'd have something to start with, and the nook ignored all metadata with the exception of Author Name and Title. Nook does have a "Bookshelf" feature, but you can only tag with that on the device itself (which is a slow process).

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

It drove me nuts when I was setting up the nook I got my mom. I figured I'd drop on some CC and Public Domain books, so she'd have something to start with, and the nook ignored all metadata with the exception of Author Name and Title. Nook does have a "Bookshelf" feature, but you can only tag with that on the device itself (which is a slow process).

And which cannot be saved or backed up.

Why, yes, I did lose all my Nook "bookshelf" data during a firmware update.

[Nahgem]

You can set up plugboards in Calibre that insert the series title and number from the metadata into the title field ahead of the book title when it goes to your reader. So, for example, Storm Front, by Jim Butcher, would appear as "Dresden Files 01 - Storm Front." Then, if you sort by title, it's all in order. AND you don't have to spend tons of time artificially tweaking the metadata.
Directions

Go to Preferences->Metadata Plugboards
then add the following:
Format [Any format] Device [Nook] (Or whichever reader you use)
Source template: {series} {series_index:0>2s} {title}
Destination Field [title]
and save

Here's a screenshot of what it should look like. I have them set up for both my Nook Classic and Nook Color.

I really do wish the Nooks would recognize more than the title and author metadata though. I have stuff tagged in Calibre by subject and keyword, and it would be nice to search by those as well. Just one of the reasons I'm considering the new Sony now that they have one in my price range.