Losing Info when sending books

Bobioden · 08-28-2013, 08:03 AM

Quick question, hopefully someone will know the answer. I am running a Mac with the latest version of Calibre 1.0. My sister is running Windows also with Calibre 1.0.

I am very picky about always having my info correct. The date the book was published, the series, and what number in the series, etc..

When I send a book to my sister and she opens it up, all the info that I have updated on mine is missing when she opens it up in her Calibre. This also happens when she sends books to me.

Is this happening because we are going from the Mac version to the Windows version? or vice versa?

Thanks in advance.

Adoby · 08-28-2013, 08:32 AM

You don't mention the book format used or how the books are exported from calibre and added to calibre. All three of these things can cause loss of metadata, if you are not careful.

Not all ebook formats support all metadata. Epub supports the most. Mobi doesn't support embedded series information. And so on...

One easy way to ensure that all metadata is included is to use the save to disk feature, and also specify that the OPF-file should be included. The OPF-file contains a copy of the metadata as it would have been if the format had been epub. Also make sure that when adding the book that calibre read metadata from the contents of the book, and not from the filename.

Bobioden · 08-28-2013, 09:05 AM

I am sending the books from the Calibre library and they are all in epub format. I don't include the folder, just the epub.

Adoby · 08-28-2013, 09:17 AM

Calibre doesn't automatically update metadata in the books in the calibre library. Instead that metadata is only stored in the separate database metadata.db. And backed up in the OPF-file that is stored with the book. The reason for this "lazy" data update is that it would be very slow to update all the books all the time you make some minor change of metadata. Instead all changes to the metadata is only stored inside the database. When you use the GUI the latest metadata is displayed, but that is not necessarily what is stored inside the books.

To ensure that the books are updated with the latest metadata you can save the books to disk or do a epub-to-epub conversion, or use the polish feature. You can also use the modify epub plugin to ensure that the epub is updated with the latest metadata.

If you use the save to disk feature, to prepare a folder with books to send to your sister, then those books will automatically be updated with the latest metadata. The folder could then be zipped and mailed or sent some other way.

You and your sister could for instance use a free cloud service to share books. Then you save the folder with books to a shared folder on your computer and that folder is automatically replicated on your sisters computer. You can have one subfolder each and send books that way. After you have added the books you just delete them from the shared subfolder.

In my signature you find one suggestion of a free cloud service, suitable for both Mac and Windows, but there are many others.

Bobioden · 08-28-2013, 10:21 AM

Thank you very much. I use Modify epub, but the box for update metadata was not checked. Once I checked that, used it on a book, and sent it to my sister, the updated info was there.

Thanks again.

08-28-2013, 08:03 AM	#1
Bobioden Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 3090 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: iPad rMini	Losing Info when sending books Quick question, hopefully someone will know the answer. I am running a Mac with the latest version of Calibre 1.0. My sister is running Windows also with Calibre 1.0. I am very picky about always having my info correct. The date the book was published, the series, and what number in the series, etc.. When I send a book to my sister and she opens it up, all the info that I have updated on mine is missing when she opens it up in her Calibre. This also happens when she sends books to me. Is this happening because we are going from the Mac version to the Windows version? or vice versa? Thanks in advance.

08-28-2013, 09:17 AM	#4
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	Calibre doesn't automatically update metadata in the books in the calibre library. Instead that metadata is only stored in the separate database metadata.db. And backed up in the OPF-file that is stored with the book. The reason for this "lazy" data update is that it would be very slow to update all the books all the time you make some minor change of metadata. Instead all changes to the metadata is only stored inside the database. When you use the GUI the latest metadata is displayed, but that is not necessarily what is stored inside the books. To ensure that the books are updated with the latest metadata you can save the books to disk or do a epub-to-epub conversion, or use the polish feature. You can also use the modify epub plugin to ensure that the epub is updated with the latest metadata. If you use the save to disk feature, to prepare a folder with books to send to your sister, then those books will automatically be updated with the latest metadata. The folder could then be zipped and mailed or sent some other way. You and your sister could for instance use a free cloud service to share books. Then you save the folder with books to a shared folder on your computer and that folder is automatically replicated on your sisters computer. You can have one subfolder each and send books that way. After you have added the books you just delete them from the shared subfolder. In my signature you find one suggestion of a free cloud service, suitable for both Mac and Windows, but there are many others. Last edited by Adoby; 08-28-2013 at 09:36 AM.

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08-28-2013, 08:32 AM	#2
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	You don't mention the book format used or how the books are exported from calibre and added to calibre. All three of these things can cause loss of metadata, if you are not careful. Not all ebook formats support all metadata. Epub supports the most. Mobi doesn't support embedded series information. And so on... One easy way to ensure that all metadata is included is to use the save to disk feature, and also specify that the OPF-file should be included. The OPF-file contains a copy of the metadata as it would have been if the format had been epub. Also make sure that when adding the book that calibre read metadata from the contents of the book, and not from the filename.

08-28-2013, 09:05 AM	#3
Bobioden Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 3090 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: iPad rMini	I am sending the books from the Calibre library and they are all in epub format. I don't include the folder, just the epub.

08-28-2013, 10:21 AM	#5
Bobioden Connoisseur Posts: 97 Karma: 3090 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: iPad rMini	Thank you very much. I use Modify epub, but the box for update metadata was not checked. Once I checked that, used it on a book, and sent it to my sister, the updated info was there. Thanks again.

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