Bookshelf Divider Tabs

MSWallack · 04-17-2012, 10:29 AM

I'm not sure which forum is the best place for this query... Anyway, I use iBooks on my iPad 3 (sorry, I refuse to call it "the new iPad"). I tend to have lots of books on my bookshelf. I've divided my books into several collections (fiction, non-fiction, technical, etc.). But my fiction shelf is very large (and I like it that way). But what I'd like to do is create a some kind of bookshelf divider to help me find books and sort them. What I envision is a "book" cover that is essentially all white with a large letter (A, B, C) that I can position on the bookshelf to help me quickly find my place in a long list of books. Obviously, the letter on the cover would need to be large (and a cool-ish font wouldn't hurt). The author and title of these placeholders would probably be something like A A or B B so that they would sort at the correct spot in the list view, whether viewing by author or title. I hope that this makes some kind of sense.

Anyway, I wasn't sure how to go about creating this type of placeholder or divider. I tried to create a mini-book in Sigil. That worked, but I couldn't figure out how to make the front page into a cover with a large letter.

Has anyone else tried something like this?

kyteflyer · 04-17-2012, 06:19 PM

I don't think it can be done, really. it would need to be written into the iBooks code, I think.

ilovejedd · 04-17-2012, 09:51 PM

Haven't tried it. Stanza works much better than iBooks for me.

For what you want to do, though, copy that epub you created in Sigil to Calibre and use the generate cover plug-in to create the big letter on white background covers. Should do exactly what you want.

MSWallack · 04-18-2012, 10:13 AM

I guess I'm not sure how to get Calibre to create the cover. I thought Calibre created covers that look like the Calibre bookshelf logo.

ilovejedd · 04-18-2012, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSWallack

I guess I'm not sure how to get Calibre to create the cover. I thought Calibre created covers that look like the Calibre bookshelf logo.

It does by default but you can install a plug-in aptly named Generate Covers that would allow you to create customized covers.

MSWallack · 04-18-2012, 11:28 AM

OK. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

MSWallack · 04-20-2012, 05:40 PM

So I played around with severeal ways of approaching this and finally came up with a possible solution. Attached is a bookshelf divider tab that can be added to iBooks like any other book. So far, I've only made this "A" tab, but now that I know what I'm doing, I can finish the alphabet. Thoughts? Suggestions? Am I the only one interested in something likes this?

ilovejedd · 04-20-2012, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSWallack

Am I the only one interested in something likes this?

Probably. I don't use iBooks because it sucks for organization.

Stanza still works so I'm sticking with that. Automatic collections based on subject tags, highly customizable, loads much quicker than iBooks, etc. The day Stanza stops working on iOS is the day I move to Android.

04-17-2012, 10:29 AM	#1
MSWallack Right, Except When Wrong Posts: 363 Karma: 4323767 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Indianapolis Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (sometimes iPad Mini).	Bookshelf Divider Tabs I'm not sure which forum is the best place for this query... Anyway, I use iBooks on my iPad 3 (sorry, I refuse to call it "the new iPad"). I tend to have lots of books on my bookshelf. I've divided my books into several collections (fiction, non-fiction, technical, etc.). But my fiction shelf is very large (and I like it that way). But what I'd like to do is create a some kind of bookshelf divider to help me find books and sort them. What I envision is a "book" cover that is essentially all white with a large letter (A, B, C) that I can position on the bookshelf to help me quickly find my place in a long list of books. Obviously, the letter on the cover would need to be large (and a cool-ish font wouldn't hurt). The author and title of these placeholders would probably be something like A A or B B so that they would sort at the correct spot in the list view, whether viewing by author or title. I hope that this makes some kind of sense. Anyway, I wasn't sure how to go about creating this type of placeholder or divider. I tried to create a mini-book in Sigil. That worked, but I couldn't figure out how to make the front page into a cover with a large letter. Has anyone else tried something like this?

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04-17-2012, 06:19 PM	#2
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,844 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone 12 Mini	I don't think it can be done, really. it would need to be written into the iBooks code, I think.

04-17-2012, 09:51 PM	#3
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,110 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Haven't tried it. Stanza works much better than iBooks for me. For what you want to do, though, copy that epub you created in Sigil to Calibre and use the generate cover plug-in to create the big letter on white background covers. Should do exactly what you want.

04-18-2012, 10:13 AM	#4
MSWallack Right, Except When Wrong Posts: 363 Karma: 4323767 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Indianapolis Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (sometimes iPad Mini).	I guess I'm not sure how to get Calibre to create the cover. I thought Calibre created covers that look like the Calibre bookshelf logo.

04-18-2012, 11:28 AM	#6
MSWallack Right, Except When Wrong Posts: 363 Karma: 4323767 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Indianapolis Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (sometimes iPad Mini).	OK. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

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