calibre for a small library

[malliaris]

greetings,

we wish to use calibre as an e-reader for our electronic library. we are a small ngo with no funds so calibre seems ideal for our needs.

I am not sure though how we can lock and if we can lock calibre so users don't pick up our electronic books. we only want them to be able to read the books.

Is there any way to restrict calibre's export functions?

many thanks in advance,

Yanni

ps. we are using calibre under mac os x and also windows xp (2 computers) and we have an ipad reader (and maybe soon a kindle one)

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by malliaris

greetings,

we wish to use calibre as an e-reader for our electronic library. we are a small ngo with no funds so calibre seems ideal for our needs.

I am not sure though how we can lock and if we can lock calibre so users don't pick up our electronic books. we only want them to be able to read the books.

Is there any way to restrict calibre's export functions?

many thanks in advance,

Yanni

ps. we are using calibre under mac os x and also windows xp (2 computers) and we have an ipad reader (and maybe soon a kindle one)

Calibre is a library, not a reader, and its designed purpose is to provide the books to the users. There's not really any way to prevent it from doing the job it's designed to do.

Calibre also has an associated reader, but it's run from the computer that Calibre is installed on, which means all the books are directly accessible. It sort of sounds like you want web access? Calibre has a content server for delivering books from the library over the web, but the reader doesn't work over the web (that's in the works, but not yet ready).

Perhaps if you explained more about what you are trying to accomplish (web? kiosk reader? DRM? e-reader?), someone here could suggest something.

[Manichean]

The problem that I see is that as long as you provide read access to your books, users can potentially save the documents for themselves. The only solution would be implementing some kind of DRM, and

1. that way lies Darkness,
2. DRM can always be circumvented.

You'll probably just have to live with some users saving the books. What you seem to be looking for, by the way, is a standard web server.