How do you keep and use your library?

GERGE · 04-30-2015, 05:26 AM

For most of us, our ebook library is among our most valuable digital data. Mine isn't as big as what many have here but I still have bought books on a weekly basis for the last 6 years or so.

So, how do you protect your data and access to it?

I don't believe keeping your books on the service you bought them is a sane default, everyone here should remember what happened with B&N. I had ninety-something books from them, but fortunately I had backed them all up while making the switch to Kobo.

For me, to start my process I organize all my books with Calibre and my Calibre Library lives under my OneDrive folder. After that, I keep my Calibre library backed up with Calibre Companion on my Android phone. I also sync the library to my personal VPS with Syncthing.

To access it; at most basic level, an usb cable, Kobo and Calibre. I also use Marvin with an opds server on my VPS (with COPS) and Aldiko with my phone. When I am away from home, I usually connect to my phone's hotspot with Kobo and download from COPS.

For better redundancy and reading on my Macbook, I upload all my books to Google Play Books, and read online from there with my laptop.

At total, my library lives in 4 different places (As far as I know, you can't download your uploads from Google Play Books). In those six years I have been buying ebooks, I have only lost one: Vellum from Hal Duncan.

PS. I don't trust hard copies so I don't bother creating copies on optical data or external HDDs. The important thing is being able to access the library when the main one fails. It is extremely unlikely that laptop SSD, phone microsd, VPS with its weekly backups and OneDrive would fail at the same time with out possibility of recovery.

drofgnal · 04-30-2015, 05:35 AM

I guess I'm old school. I use calibre and and portable HD backup. That's it. If I suddenly lost both, the worst thing that would happen is I'd have to re-drm all my amazon purchases and redownload all public domain books I've downloaded. Not a biggy.

Apache · 04-30-2015, 06:11 AM

Calibre, DRM stripped and backed up on multiple drives.
Apache

mbovenka · 04-30-2015, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Calibre, DRM stripped and backed up on multiple drives.

Same here. One of the drives is a USB stick on my keychain that goes with me everywhere.

pwalker8 · 04-30-2015, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Calibre, DRM stripped and backed up on multiple drives.
Apache

Same here. The main drive is a drobo connected to my desktop and the backup is drobo connected to the network. I also have a backup on my lap top.

Ripplinger · 04-30-2015, 09:50 AM

Much the same as the OP for myself. Calibre to strip DRM and keep all copies in one location on my PC that is backed up nightly to 3 other hard drives, and also (but not as frequently) to a netbook, a server and Drop Box. I absolutely would never trust the stores where I purchased books to keep them available.

I only keep up to 500 books at a time on my readers, which gives me plenty of choices to read, and just swap more on when I delete some. Those 500 are also on a micro SD card in my wallet just in case my reader locks up while out for a day so I could still read in case of a reset.

I'm pretty well protected against any disaster whether I'm away or at home.

HarryT · 04-30-2015, 10:11 AM

Calibre library, backed up to two external USB hard disks, one of which is off-site.

gabby98 · 04-30-2015, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Calibre, DRM stripped and backed up on multiple drives.
Apache

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbovenka

Same here. One of the drives is a USB stick on my keychain that goes with me everywhere.

ditto

Jessica Lares · 04-30-2015, 12:21 PM

Calibre and a SD card. I just drag and drop stuff into Gerty as needed.

Sirtel · 04-30-2015, 12:55 PM

Calibre, main library on my PC, back-up libraries on OneDrive and Copy, and I keep a copy on an external HD as well.

latepaul · 04-30-2015, 01:33 PM

The main thing for me is that I have both my Calibre library (backed up various ways) and a separate folder containing deDRM-ed files (also backed up).

I do this because my Calibre library is on Dropbox and I access it from different computers using different OSes. And over in the Calibre forum they'll tell you not to do that, that it can cause problems. And it has - though not that often - and so I like to know I could re-create my Calibre library from scratch if necessary. But mostly I've just had to occasionally re-add an individual book file (maybe 2-3 times in the last 5-6 years?)

bla · 05-01-2015, 01:45 PM

Good lord when do you have time to read? First I load everything onto the device sd card so if the device fails I can still (hopefully) access my books I use dropbox to load books so they are on dropbox as well I also do a complete backup on a weekly basis to a usb drive and finally burn the whole lot to a dvd every few months I would never leave a purchased book with a vendor ....

Terisa de morgan · 05-01-2015, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bla

Good lord when do you have time to read? First I load everything onto the device sd card so if the device fails I can still (hopefully) access my books I use dropbox to load books so they are on dropbox as well I also do a complete backup on a weekly basis to a usb drive and finally burn the whole lot to a dvd every few months I would never leave a purchased book with a vendor ....

I think you're overestimating the time needed for it. I've purchased five books this morning, and in around half hour I had them in calibre with the right metadata, added to goodreads, converted three of them and loaded in my device (backed in dropbox as my main device library is in dropbox), and all of them were backed in an USB. The HD backup is once a week.

GERGE · 05-01-2015, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bla

Good lord when do you have time to read? First I load everything onto the device sd card so if the device fails I can still (hopefully) access my books I use dropbox to load books so they are on dropbox as well I also do a complete backup on a weekly basis to a usb drive and finally burn the whole lot to a dvd every few months I would never leave a purchased book with a vendor ....

Almost all of my process is automated. Books I download with Kindle App or ADE automatically gets DRM stripped, added to Calibre and deleted. Then they sync themselves to my VPS and Onedrive.

Calibre Companion only need to be opened, then it also does its own thing.

Only thing I spent any additional effort is upload to Google Books.

eschwartz · 05-01-2015, 02:56 PM

I keep all my books in calibre. The main library I keep with me on a flashdrive, but it is symlinked into Dropbox, as well as backed up regularly using rsync as described here: http://www.mikerubel.org/computers/rsync_snapshots/

04-30-2015, 05:26 AM	#1
GERGE Guru Posts: 733 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	How do you keep and use your library? For most of us, our ebook library is among our most valuable digital data. Mine isn't as big as what many have here but I still have bought books on a weekly basis for the last 6 years or so. So, how do you protect your data and access to it? I don't believe keeping your books on the service you bought them is a sane default, everyone here should remember what happened with B&N. I had ninety-something books from them, but fortunately I had backed them all up while making the switch to Kobo. For me, to start my process I organize all my books with Calibre and my Calibre Library lives under my OneDrive folder. After that, I keep my Calibre library backed up with Calibre Companion on my Android phone. I also sync the library to my personal VPS with Syncthing. To access it; at most basic level, an usb cable, Kobo and Calibre. I also use Marvin with an opds server on my VPS (with COPS) and Aldiko with my phone. When I am away from home, I usually connect to my phone's hotspot with Kobo and download from COPS. For better redundancy and reading on my Macbook, I upload all my books to Google Play Books, and read online from there with my laptop. At total, my library lives in 4 different places (As far as I know, you can't download your uploads from Google Play Books). In those six years I have been buying ebooks, I have only lost one: Vellum from Hal Duncan. PS. I don't trust hard copies so I don't bother creating copies on optical data or external HDDs. The important thing is being able to access the library when the main one fails. It is extremely unlikely that laptop SSD, phone microsd, VPS with its weekly backups and OneDrive would fail at the same time with out possibility of recovery. Last edited by GERGE; 04-30-2015 at 05:48 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Merge Formats library into Metadata library? Or, Add Format in bulk?	Sabardeyn	Library Management	5	01-23-2013 06:00 AM
University/Public Library ebooks and ebook library links	mastermesh	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	2	01-21-2012 08:51 AM
copy #1 library to #2 library, cover & .epub file lost	yujunglin	Library Management	3	10-15-2011 02:13 AM
[Old Thread] import library or export to single file add to existing library	PCreighton	Calibre	4	04-10-2011 01:08 AM
Sony Reader Library running, but Library doesn't show on screen	wyldmint	Sony Reader	0	08-29-2010 01:59 AM

04-30-2015, 05:35 AM	#2
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,400 Karma: 10519918 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	I guess I'm old school. I use calibre and and portable HD backup. That's it. If I suddenly lost both, the worst thing that would happen is I'd have to re-drm all my amazon purchases and redownload all public domain books I've downloaded. Not a biggy.

04-30-2015, 06:11 AM	#3
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,277 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Calibre, DRM stripped and backed up on multiple drives. Apache

04-30-2015, 09:50 AM	#6
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	Much the same as the OP for myself. Calibre to strip DRM and keep all copies in one location on my PC that is backed up nightly to 3 other hard drives, and also (but not as frequently) to a netbook, a server and Drop Box. I absolutely would never trust the stores where I purchased books to keep them available. I only keep up to 500 books at a time on my readers, which gives me plenty of choices to read, and just swap more on when I delete some. Those 500 are also on a micro SD card in my wallet just in case my reader locks up while out for a day so I could still read in case of a reset. I'm pretty well protected against any disaster whether I'm away or at home.

04-30-2015, 10:11 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Calibre library, backed up to two external USB hard disks, one of which is off-site.

04-30-2015, 12:21 PM	#9
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	Calibre and a SD card. I just drag and drop stuff into Gerty as needed.

04-30-2015, 12:55 PM	#10
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,480 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Calibre, main library on my PC, back-up libraries on OneDrive and Copy, and I keep a copy on an external HD as well.

04-30-2015, 01:33 PM	#11
latepaul Wizard Posts: 1,270 Karma: 10468300 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: a variety (mostly kindles and kobos)	The main thing for me is that I have both my Calibre library (backed up various ways) and a separate folder containing deDRM-ed files (also backed up). I do this because my Calibre library is on Dropbox and I access it from different computers using different OSes. And over in the Calibre forum they'll tell you not to do that, that it can cause problems. And it has - though not that often - and so I like to know I could re-create my Calibre library from scratch if necessary. But mostly I've just had to occasionally re-add an individual book file (maybe 2-3 times in the last 5-6 years?)

05-01-2015, 01:45 PM	#12
bla E bookworm Posts: 358 Karma: 2013666 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Sony PRS T1,Android Tablet, I phone	Good lord when do you have time to read? First I load everything onto the device sd card so if the device fails I can still (hopefully) access my books I use dropbox to load books so they are on dropbox as well I also do a complete backup on a weekly basis to a usb drive and finally burn the whole lot to a dvd every few months I would never leave a purchased book with a vendor ....

05-01-2015, 02:56 PM	#15
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	I keep all my books in calibre. The main library I keep with me on a flashdrive, but it is symlinked into Dropbox, as well as backed up regularly using rsync as described here: http://www.mikerubel.org/computers/rsync_snapshots/

Advert

Advert