Handle Changing Book Title

[Larla]

I changed the series info on one of my ebooks. I use the plugin to append the series info to my book title when I send a book to my Glo HD via Calibre.

What should I do before updating my Glo HD with this modified book?

Should I delete the book on my reader before sending this modified book or will the sent book automatically replace the old book and its old title?

[davidfor]

Strictly, the Kobo devices do not support updating the metadata once a book has been put onto the device. You need to delete the book and then sideload it again.

But, my Kobo Utilities plugin has a function to do this. It can directly update the metadata in the database on the device from the calibre library.

[Larla]

Thanks David -- usage looks pretty straight-forward and definitely simpler than deleting book on device and then re-transmitting it.

[Larla]

OK -- I tried using the Kobo Utilities plugin on three books where I had changed the series information. I told the plugin to update title and series info on these three books.

However, the title on the device did not change. I think the problem is that even though I changed the metadata on the device, nothing was triggering the plugin that builds a title from the Calibre title and the series info.

Is there a way I can trigger that plugin via Kobo Utilities?

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Larla

OK -- I tried using the Kobo Utilities plugin on three books where I had changed the series information. I told the plugin to update title and series info on these three books.

However, the title on the device did not change. I think the problem is that even though I changed the metadata on the device, nothing was triggering the plugin that builds a title from the Calibre title and the series info.

Is there a way I can trigger that plugin via Kobo Utilities?

If you originally used a calibre Metadata Plugboard to "create" your Title, you also need to check the box labelled 'Use Plugboard' (8th item in left-hand column of Kobo Utilities - Update metadata in Device Library option).

[Larla]

Thanks Jackie -- that worked perfectly -- except I foolishly updated the series information on the device metadata during one of my attempts. This causes the title to be truncated because Kobo wants to display the series info also.

I guess I need to remove the series info on those 3 books in calibre and reupdate the series metadata on the device then restore the series info in calibre. Is there any easier way to clear the series metdata on the device?

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Larla

I guess I need to remove the series info on those 3 books in calibre and reupdate the series metadata on the device then restore the series info in calibre. Is there any easier way to clear the series metdata on the device?

If you have the tech skills you can probably manually clear the Series value from the relevant SQL table (content) inside the Kobo database using something like the SQLite utility. However, if this isn't something you've done before you need to be a bit careful.

Might I ask why you need to use the plugboard to manipulate the title to include the series? Wouldn't Kobo MyBooks be more readable if you put title on the Kobo title line and series on the series line? If it's so that you can sort an author's books by series can't you now do that quite easily via MyBooks>Authors>select Author>sort by Series.

[Larla]

I have always used the plug board and sorted on title. It works great and I am too far invested in that approach now.