Touch Easier Shelving

Mellobob · 07-04-2011, 10:48 PM

Arrrggghhh ... there has to be an easier way!

I've got about 200 books on the nook touch and just added some from my computer using Calibre (great software!). Then I created some new shelves for the books ... and ... arrrggghhh.

Seems that for each and every new shelf I need to go though the entire list of books already on the nook and hope that I notice the ones I just downloaded and click them into the respective shelf. If they were listed in date added order (like the kindle), or better yet in reverse date order ... it'd be easy. But the nook seems to insist on alphabetizing the list.

My life is complicated enough ... is there an easier way? Please say I'm just to dumb too figure this out myself!

SCION · 07-05-2011, 12:59 AM

Nope, you're not dumb. Someone may come along though and tell you you're making too much out of it. Many, myself included, share your frustration.

ST-One · 07-05-2011, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

Nope, you're not dumb. Someone may come along though and tell you you're making too much out of it. Many, myself included, share your frustration.

*comes along...*

octoberdana · 07-05-2011, 06:50 AM

On the nook classic unshelled nooks appear in a category called unshelved making them easier to find. Is this missing from the nook touch?

SCION · 07-05-2011, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST-One

*comes along...*

Very perceptive!

Thanks for being a good sport about it.

SCION · 07-05-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by octoberdana

On the nook classic unshelled nooks appear in a category called unshelved making them easier to find. Is this missing from the nook touch?

It sure is. I've seen folks "wishing" there were a list of unshelved books.

afv011 · 07-05-2011, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellobob

Arrrggghhh ... there has to be an easier way!

I've got about 200 books on the nook touch and just added some from my computer using Calibre (great software!). Then I created some new shelves for the books ... and ... arrrggghhh.

Seems that for each and every new shelf I need to go though the entire list of books already on the nook and hope that I notice the ones I just downloaded and click them into the respective shelf. If they were listed in date added order (like the kindle), or better yet in reverse date order ... it'd be easy. But the nook seems to insist on alphabetizing the list.

My life is complicated enough ... is there an easier way? Please say I'm just to dumb too figure this out myself!

Shelves are a nice idea, poorly implemented. Not only it is difficult to add books to shelves, books from the SD card tend to magically disappear from the shelves. I personally would not bother with shelves.
The proper way for this to work would be for the Library app to parse the metadata of the books, and give you the option to sort based on that.

Kolenka · 07-05-2011, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

It sure is. I've seen folks "wishing" there were a list of unshelved books.

That gets half way there. We'd also need a way to add books to a shelf other than using the "edit" button on the shelf itself which is a slow way to navigate unless you know the title of the books you want to add.

SCION · 07-05-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afv011

...
The proper way for this to work would be for the Library app to parse the metadata of the books, and give you the option to sort based on that.

That ain't gonna happen. Guess it stems from B&N's aversion of sideloaded books from day one.

astrangerhere · 07-05-2011, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST-One

*comes along...*

+1

I know its a pet peeve for alot of people, but I just shelve a book everytime I add one. its not that hard to hold the foward button down to fly through my library to get to the book I just added and pop it on the right shelf.

I dont see this, or a great number of other, proprietary systems being open to the extent that your work in Calibre is going to equal shelving on your device. And I am at peace with that.

Mellobob · 07-05-2011, 12:59 PM

Okay ... I feel a bit better knowing that I didn't get stupid

Someone mentioned going though the list of books to find the new one and then adding it to the shelf. Unless I'm wrong (again) that's easier said than done ... you can't go though the book list in the library and <edit> a book title ... this would be handy since you can sort by <most recent>. You still have to do this by selecting a shelf and then scrolling though the whole list.

The biggest problem with this is that you have to do this for each shelf/book.

Question: Would rooting the device make me feel any better about this issue? I'm considering just for the browser. Reading some of the rooting information leaves me thinking that it's not quite ready for primetime?

BookJunkieLI · 07-05-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellobob

Question: Would rooting the device make me feel any better about this issue? I'm considering just for the browser. Reading some of the rooting information leaves me thinking that it's not quite ready for primetime?

I've asked this question already and sadly the people with the technical know-how to hack the Touch seem to be focused on turning it into a web browser/tablet rather than improving much needed features like library management whether it be for side-loaded content or b&n content. Because I have 100 ebooks from B&N sitting on my original Nook and I'm sure when I bring them over to the Touch they are not going to just automatically sort themselves to shelves for me.

All that being said I think the answer to our problems is going to be in the My Files section of the Touch. Based on what I've seen this is folder management, the Holy Grail for side-loaded content and, if you do it right, B&N content as well. I haven't said anything yet because I'm still figuring out the template language for Calibre. Calibre's default setting when Saving To Device/Disk is Author/Title/Title - Author.epub with the slashes indicating a change in directory. This can be changed however. Hence figuring out the template language. When I'm done I should be able to get Calibre to spit out the following Genre/Sub-Genre/(Series if one)Title - Author.epub. I have a custom column called Genres that allows to sort for genre hierarchies ie Fantasy/Epic, Fantasy/Dark, Sci-Fi/Space Opera etc This is the tutorial on how to create that type of column - http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/sub_groups.html

If it works the way I think it should it will be great for side-loaded content. If you've downloaded your B&N content to your computer you can import that into Calibre as well and then side-load it to your Touch. The only drawback I'm seeing so far to this is that if you have a book in multiple genres it will be loaded multiple times onto the Touch. It won't function like tags or the Shelves where multiple tags/Shelves will point to a single file. As far as I'm concerned if that's the only drawback then I can live with it.

Nina182B · 07-05-2011, 02:41 PM

I have 500+ books and it's too time consuming to setup my books into shelves using the nook. For now, I'm going to use the SD card memory file's My Files/Books folder. In the Books folder, I created folders of what I want my "shelves" to be, then drag and dropped the ePub files in these folders. In the Library, I select "My Files", then "Memory Card", and I can see the folders that I created and drill down into them. The only drawback is that, the ePubs don't show the book cover images

I was really debating whether or not to return the Nook Simple Touch, because I can't stand not being able to have some sort of book folder structure, but now that I know this works, I'm keeping it!! I can live with not seeing the book cover images... but will play around with it... maybe will discover something new.

wandalynn · 07-05-2011, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

It sure is. I've seen folks "wishing" there were a list of unshelved books.

Wow, is the shelf management on the ST even worse than on the classic? I was shelving some new titles yesterday and wondered if the new nook had a better system.

Kolenka · 07-05-2011, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

That ain't gonna happen. Guess it stems from B&N's aversion of sideloaded books from day one.

I'm actually surprised at how well the Nook STR handles side-loaded content. The only thing I haven't seen working is being able to share highlights on social networks. It even will pull covers from Calibre's cover meta tag for side-loaded content (which made it extremely easy to fix covers for the nook, easier than the Kobo).

Although it'd be nice if it stored metadata on books that live on the SD card, on the SD card so it didn't undo all my shelving when I remove it.

07-04-2011, 10:48 PM	#1
Mellobob Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 13118 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Wynndel BC Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O	Easier Shelving Arrrggghhh ... there has to be an easier way! I've got about 200 books on the nook touch and just added some from my computer using Calibre (great software!). Then I created some new shelves for the books ... and ... arrrggghhh. Seems that for each and every new shelf I need to go though the entire list of books already on the nook and hope that I notice the ones I just downloaded and click them into the respective shelf. If they were listed in date added order (like the kindle), or better yet in reverse date order ... it'd be easy. But the nook seems to insist on alphabetizing the list. My life is complicated enough ... is there an easier way? Please say I'm just to dumb too figure this out myself!

07-05-2011, 02:41 PM	#13
Nina182B Connoisseur Posts: 60 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NJ, USA Device: Kindle, Cybook Opus, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura	Won't Probably Use Shelves I have 500+ books and it's too time consuming to setup my books into shelves using the nook. For now, I'm going to use the SD card memory file's My Files/Books folder. In the Books folder, I created folders of what I want my "shelves" to be, then drag and dropped the ePub files in these folders. In the Library, I select "My Files", then "Memory Card", and I can see the folders that I created and drill down into them. The only drawback is that, the ePubs don't show the book cover images I was really debating whether or not to return the Nook Simple Touch, because I can't stand not being able to have some sort of book folder structure, but now that I know this works, I'm keeping it!! I can live with not seeing the book cover images... but will play around with it... maybe will discover something new.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Easier German Novels	synlor	Reading Recommendations	15	08-05-2013 01:27 AM
Is there any easier way to do this?	fozzy40	Amazon Kindle	9	11-02-2010 09:50 PM
It ain't the book, it's the shelving...	Harmon	News	0	08-23-2009 01:57 PM
Tell me there is an easier way!	ficbot	Workshop	5	11-25-2008 06:21 PM
Which is easier on the eyes?	talaivan	Which one should I buy?	8	11-05-2008 02:12 PM

07-05-2011, 12:59 AM	#2
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	Nope, you're not dumb. Someone may come along though and tell you you're making too much out of it. Many, myself included, share your frustration.

07-05-2011, 06:50 AM	#4
octoberdana Enthusiast Posts: 48 Karma: 40000 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Touch, Kindle Touch	On the nook classic unshelled nooks appear in a category called unshelved making them easier to find. Is this missing from the nook touch?

07-05-2011, 12:59 PM	#11
Mellobob Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 13118 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Wynndel BC Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O	Okay ... I feel a bit better knowing that I didn't get stupid Someone mentioned going though the list of books to find the new one and then adding it to the shelf. Unless I'm wrong (again) that's easier said than done ... you can't go though the book list in the library and <edit> a book title ... this would be handy since you can sort by <most recent>. You still have to do this by selecting a shelf and then scrolling though the whole list. The biggest problem with this is that you have to do this for each shelf/book. Question: Would rooting the device make me feel any better about this issue? I'm considering just for the browser. Reading some of the rooting information leaves me thinking that it's not quite ready for primetime?

Advert

Advert