Retaining metadata when transferring books

onyxwar · 07-26-2012, 02:07 PM

I haven't had much luck finding a thread that addresses this problem, so hopefully this isn't a duplicate.

My problem is this: some of the books I've imported into my Calibre library (using the add books button, not doing it manually or anything) had some things I corrected (Ex: Author's first/last name was reversed, series name in the title of the book, that sort of thing) that didn't seem to save the corrections.

I copied my home library to my computer at work to work on editing some stuff on down time. This is the first time I noticed that the corrections I made had reverted back to the original (Agatha Christie had again reverted to Christie, Agatha on the books I had already fixed). I figured I'd done something incorrectly, so I fixed some of these problems again and then created a 2nd library in Calibre. I basically duplicated the library I had and stored it on a USB. I did all this through Calibre so that I didn't screw anything up.

And when I switched to my 2nd library...the errors were back. From what I could gather on the forums, this seems to have to do with internal metadata not getting updated (I could be wrong). So. How do I keep the corrections I've made in metadata (author/title changes, series, tag adds/removals) when I move/transfer a book, create a new library, etc??

onyxwar · 07-26-2012, 03:17 PM

The covers I added to the books also reverted to their original (most were a picture of the first page), even though they had been deleted from the calibre library folders once I replaced them.

Oh, and the actual epub file itself did retain any changes I made; it's only the metadata that reverted.

theducks · 07-26-2012, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onyxwar

The covers I added to the books also reverted to their original (most were a picture of the first page), even though they had been deleted from the calibre library folders once I replaced them.

The stuff (OPF, cover)you see in the Calibre (book) folder is NOT always what is in the book. For that to happen (if the format supports), you need to covert or use the Modify EPUB (if appropriate) plugin

onyxwar · 07-26-2012, 04:21 PM

I have the Modify Epub plugin, but I wasn't sure what to do with it in order to make those changes. Do you have any suggestions on that score?

JSWolf · 07-26-2012, 04:29 PM

In order to keep the metadata and the cover you should not import the actual eBook file from one library to another. You could use the copy function to copy the eBook from one library to another. Importing from one library to another like you are doing ignore the cover and the OPF and just imports the actual file and the metadata in that file is what you get and not what is with the eBook. So just copy instead of importing.

onyxwar · 07-26-2012, 04:33 PM

Copy the Calibre library folder? I've done that too. That was what I did the first time, was copy the Calibre library folder, making no changes, and directing Calibre on the new computer to the copy I moved over. That was the first time I noticed this issue. If you mean copying through the Calibre interface, I couldn't find an option to do that.

PeterT · 07-26-2012, 04:35 PM

@onyxwar: Right click on a book or selection of books. Select "copy to library".

onyxwar · 07-26-2012, 04:47 PM

Ah, thanks

. I feel a bit dense that I missed that before.

07-26-2012, 02:07 PM	#1
onyxwar Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo	Retaining metadata when transferring books I haven't had much luck finding a thread that addresses this problem, so hopefully this isn't a duplicate. My problem is this: some of the books I've imported into my Calibre library (using the add books button, not doing it manually or anything) had some things I corrected (Ex: Author's first/last name was reversed, series name in the title of the book, that sort of thing) that didn't seem to save the corrections. I copied my home library to my computer at work to work on editing some stuff on down time. This is the first time I noticed that the corrections I made had reverted back to the original (Agatha Christie had again reverted to Christie, Agatha on the books I had already fixed). I figured I'd done something incorrectly, so I fixed some of these problems again and then created a 2nd library in Calibre. I basically duplicated the library I had and stored it on a USB. I did all this through Calibre so that I didn't screw anything up. And when I switched to my 2nd library...the errors were back. From what I could gather on the forums, this seems to have to do with internal metadata not getting updated (I could be wrong). So. How do I keep the corrections I've made in metadata (author/title changes, series, tag adds/removals) when I move/transfer a book, create a new library, etc?? Last edited by onyxwar; 07-26-2012 at 03:25 PM. Reason: clarify sentence

07-26-2012, 03:17 PM	#2
onyxwar Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo	The covers I added to the books also reverted to their original (most were a picture of the first page), even though they had been deleted from the calibre library folders once I replaced them. Oh, and the actual epub file itself did retain any changes I made; it's only the metadata that reverted. Last edited by onyxwar; 07-26-2012 at 03:26 PM.

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07-26-2012, 04:21 PM	#4
onyxwar Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo	I have the Modify Epub plugin, but I wasn't sure what to do with it in order to make those changes. Do you have any suggestions on that score?

07-26-2012, 04:29 PM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,677 Karma: 130140792 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	In order to keep the metadata and the cover you should not import the actual eBook file from one library to another. You could use the copy function to copy the eBook from one library to another. Importing from one library to another like you are doing ignore the cover and the OPF and just imports the actual file and the metadata in that file is what you get and not what is with the eBook. So just copy instead of importing.

07-26-2012, 04:33 PM	#6
onyxwar Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo	Copy the Calibre library folder? I've done that too. That was what I did the first time, was copy the Calibre library folder, making no changes, and directing Calibre on the new computer to the copy I moved over. That was the first time I noticed this issue. If you mean copying through the Calibre interface, I couldn't find an option to do that.

07-26-2012, 04:35 PM	#7
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,269 Karma: 74007256 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	@onyxwar: Right click on a book or selection of books. Select "copy to library".

07-26-2012, 04:47 PM	#8
onyxwar Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kobo	Ah, thanks . I feel a bit dense that I missed that before.

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