Do any professional librarians use Calibre?

[Geremia]

Can Calibre be using as a lending software program? Are there plugins that give it this functionality?

[aborel]

I'm sure some do, but why are you interested in this information?

[Quoth]

Not to run libraries. Not unless they are mad. I've written both Video rental library and book library software. It's quite different in what it needs to do compared with Calibre.
You may have multiple copies of the same book and need to track them separately.
Lending ebooks is more complicated.

No doubt some Librarians use Calibre for their own ebook collections. An ebook collection manager like Calibre isn't the same kind of thing as actual Lending Library software, also an actual Lending library (physical and/or ebooks) isn't the same as a personal collection.

[Bookstooge]

That is a pretty broad question. You might want to be a bit more specific.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Geremia

Do any professional librarians use Calibre? If so, what libraries do they belong to?

Do corporate librarians using calibre for their personal collections count?

[theducks]

Calibre can work fine for Corporate Libraries when they do not need checkout or tracking that the full fledged ones usually need.

[Bookstooge]

With that edit to the OP's statement, I'd say check out the Calibre Server sub-forum and see if what goes on in there would fit your needs.

[DNSB]

If your library does not have a need for automated user identification, lending limits or enforced returns, you could look at using calibre server. The corporate library I am familiar with uses a commercial package to manage their ebook loans because they need those features. One minor nit, much like when I was at university and the professors did not have limits on what they could borrow or how long they could keep them, some of the corporate types are allowed an all you can eat buffet of never-ending loans.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Geremia

Can Calibre be using as a lending software program? Are there plugins that give it this functionality?

Not that I know of - one of these might suit your purpose ==>> Best 8 Free & Open Source Library Management Software Solutions

BR

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by theducks

Calibre can work fine for Corporate Libraries when they do not need checkout or tracking that the full fledged ones usually need.

Which basically means not actually running a library!

Knowing if a physical book is in or out and who has it is basic to a library. That's why originally there were date stamps and library cards for each book and the borrower.

Ebooks are slightly more complicated, not simpler, unless it's all Public Domain content.

There are legal requirements too, such as purchasing, tracking number of loans, how much can be copied. Again these are more complex for ebooks.

Calibre is NOT a library management program in the sense meant by a public, school or company library. It's managing a PERSONAL collection.

Calibre is a wonderful program, but it would be a staggeringly stupid choice for managing any kind of lending library.

Physical books and ebooks almost need different systems for a lending library.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

If your library does not have a need for automated user identification, lending limits or enforced returns, you could look at using calibre server.

No, I can't see how that works unless it's all ebooks and all public domain, so basically giving away copies. I've worked in a library and delivered and installed both book lending (for a college) and a video library system. Barcodes. Also I've done distributed consumables management system and stock control. Written databases etc.

I know we are all fans of Kovid and Calibre here, but the idea that you can operate a "lending" library with it isn't wise.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I know we are all fans of Kovid and Calibre here, but the idea that you can operate a "lending" library with it isn't wise.

Mr Goyal's abstention from this thread is imo a fairly strong indicator that he concurs with the above summary.

[kovidgoyal]

I haven't the foggiest what goes into running a library. The simple act of tracking inventory should be fairly easy to manage in calibre with a custom column or two, but I doubt that is all there is to it.

[Quoth]

Obviously you can add custom columns such as last date out, last date in, location (person or library location).
There is no sensible way to maintain a user database.
There are ways to add barcode scanning.
Multiple books of same physical title need multiple entries! Stock Control/Inventory can be simpler as indeed you only need one entry and a quantity column.
eBooks in Copyright need multiple separate entries for number of copies you are licenced to track.
Anything other than a personal family library also needs number of loans tracking column for each time period for royalties.

It's easier to use real "lending library" management software. The Calibre Library isn't really a Library, it's a personal ebook collection manager, though I manage my wife's bought ebooks on mine. There is an extra column for "owner", which is CC or PD for documents not bought. Then if I'm putting a load of books on friend's ereader, I'm only putting PD & CC titles.

So it's awkwardly possible. But cataloguing your LPs, CDs, Cassettes, MP3s (not the content) and your own paper books and magazines is much easier than trying to manage a lending library.

It's not the 1980s or 1990s. Loads of free Library management SW out there.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I haven't the foggiest what goes into running a library. The simple act of tracking inventory should be fairly easy to manage in calibre with a custom column or two, but I doubt that is all there is to it.

Very honest.
Also true. Unless it's a "toy" library for just a small number of family members then it's much harder than a custom column or too.
I have about 2000 ebooks in Calibre. But I never added them all at once. It's since I first used Calibre on XP.

I have thousands of technical PDFs (datasheets, operator manuals, service information, old scanned technical books. I got a tablet upgrade the end of last year and found they use about 200 Gbyte of the 256G SD card! Simply fixing the metadata correctly would be daunting. I'd use a separate Calibre Library. So I've considered it and decided I've better things to do.

I have two professional barcode systems apart from my phone app. You can't use the ISBN for the scanner, except to initially find metadata. Each book/document needs a unique library database ID barcode using a different code system to the EAN/UPC/ISBN type barcode, to avoid confusion. I've about 3000+ books, not including my #6th offspring's books. He's still at home, though I'm not sure why. Maybe the free board and food? Anyway, newer systems use an RFID tag rather than a barcode.


You need also for physical books to record the condition, when bought as well as published. You need to pay a library licence.
Ebooks out of copyright are simple. Just give away a copy. If they are in copyright, then you need a licence, cost depending on library edition price and number of simultaneous copies.
Publishers / Library umbrella groups DO pay authors royalties based on the number of loans.

Actually one of Ray's forthcoming books draws on my experience of this and the various start-up businesses I've had. In "Robin Morgan, Faerie Prince", Robin has been running small retail businesses since Sumerian days. His current plan (Just after the Coronavirus!) is a combined second-hand book store pay-as-you-go lending library with a dairy/coffeeshop/vegetarian cafe. Hardly viable in real life, but several local S/H bookshops used to "buy back" books. Sadly the Charity shops have killed most of them as they like to only have best sellers and clean copies, so most of the sources of out of print books are gone.