Question for those using Intake Libraries

[ownedbycats]

After making changes to your main library (templates, columns, plugin settings that embed themselves into the db, etc), how do you copy that over to the intake? Copy it all over manually? Delete and re-create a new one each time?

I've been wondering this a while.

[BetterRed]

First up, I always get author and title from file name, and I make sure I have those as I want them before I add a book.

If I am adding one or two books to a library - which is mainly true these days, I don't use an intake library. I add them, one at a time, to the relevant destination library. I can usually fill in most of the metadata blanks via copy and paste from an existing book by the same author. I also have my workspace arranged so that I can see any metadata notes I have previously collected for the 'book' in the xplorer² preview panel.

Occasionally I add dozens of journal articles or media items, in that case I create an empty intake library by cloning the destination library and I might seed the intake library with some books from the destination library to copy from. I could colour them via your VL from IDs JobSpy trickery - I have to be careful not to change them or copy them back.

I tried and failed to devise a way to get a universal intake library that would cover my different libraries. When Kovid provided metadata copy & paste… perhaps at my request… the need for it diminished greatly.

FTR: I don't read series or fan-fiction (not sure I even know what it is), I don't download tags or ratings, nor do I care much about covers and comments.

Added: and I dont use any device integration - I only keep a few things on my phone and I prefer to manage that myself, ditto my Surface GO.

BR

[Terisa de morgan]

I usually copy only the columns which are useful for the intake, all the columns, templates and setting that don't make sense for a intake, I keep them in the main library (my intake process is quite simple).

[theducks]

Intake is the 'Starter' Library. It may not have all the columns of the Main (target).
That said:
Easy-Peasy (assumes you are on the master)
On the Library Icon: Create Library: Create an Empty Library: Tick Copy Structure
That copies ALL custom columns and their settings as well
Then make any structure adjustments before using it, as needed.
Mine is actually on another PC. I Pull (work is done from the destination PC over a network share) books to my main Library over a wired network. 4 Years doing this without issue. OTOH I first started trying to push to the main , erratic.
As Always, Have a backup and use care when bending the Calibre approved guidelines

[JSWolf]

The intake library is where the eBooks go. Then they go to other libraries from there when appropriate.

[ownedbycats]

it seems that intakes are most useful for multiple libraries. Which... yeah, makes semse.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

it seems that intakes are most useful for multiple libraries. Which... yeah, makes semse.

Intakes are useful for cleaning data.
The way the database works, is no longer used data entries ar just marked deleted. they are still there, taking up space and possibly, slowing things.

Library Maintenance(phase 1) vacuums the DB of these
So Cleaning the kruft before adding-to-Library keeps the main one cleaner

[hobnail]

I was sort of using a reverse library, one where books I'd read were kept, deleting them from the main library which had unread and ones on my kobo. But it was too much work keeping track of series and books by the same author so I've switched to virtual libraries. Don't ask why I thought virtual libraries were confusing the first time I investigated them a year or so ago; I think it was because I was trying to use the views plugin, but now it's just virtual libraries without any plugin front end.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by hobnail

I was sort of using a reverse library, one where books I'd read were kept, deleting them from the main library which had unread and ones on my kobo. But it was too much work keeping track of series and books by the same author so I've switched to virtual libraries. Don't ask why I thought virtual libraries were confusing the first time I investigated them a year or so ago; I think it was because I was trying to use the views plugin, but now it's just virtual libraries without any plugin front end.

I used to have separate libraries for my regular books, fanfics, and documentation & manuals. When I found virtual libraries and the view manager plugin, I combined them.