Did you know you can change how Calibre looks by adding your own columns?
This is a great way to organize and find your ebooks based on what's important to you. It makes managing your ebook collection in Calibre super easy!
Let's learn how to add a new column to your Calibre library. But first, if you're new to Calibre, here are an helpful link: an Introduction and Installation Guide to Calibre.
Remember, Calibre is a free program that helps you organize and manage your ebooks. You can download it here.
You can also find a video tutorial at the end of this page that shows you all the steps.
Step 1: Open Calibre Preferences
Open Calibre and go to the "Preferences" settings. You can find it by clicking the "Preferences" icon on the main toolbar, or by going to the "Calibre" menu and then "Preferences."
Step 2: Find the "Add Your Own Columns" Section
In the Preferences window, click on "Add your own columns" in the "Interface" section. You'll see a list of the columns you already have.
Step 3: Create a New Column
Click the green "+" (plus) button on the right to add a new column.
A window will pop up asking you for some information:
Lookup name: Pick a short and clear name for your column. For example, "read," "toread," "comments," etc. Important: The name should only use lowercase letters and numbers, and it must start with a letter.
Column heading: This is the name that will appear for the column in Calibre.
Column type: Choose what kind of information your column will hold. Options include "Text," "Number," "Date," "Yes/No," and more.
Description: Write a short description of what the column is for. This is helpful if you share your library with others. For example, "Shows if I've read this book."
Display: For Yes/No columns, you can choose to show an icon (like a green checkmark for "Yes" or a red cross for "No") or text ("Yes" or "No"). You can also choose "Icon and text" to show both.
You can also define a Default Value.
Step 4: Save and Restart Calibre
Once you've set up your new column, click "OK" to save your changes, and then "Apply" the changes.
Calibre will ask you to restart so the changes take effect. Click "Yes" to restart right away.
Video Tutorial
You can see all of this in action in this YouTube video:
I really recommend creating useful and helpful columns in Calibre!
Think about what information is most important for you to manage your library. For example, you could create columns for genre, difficulty level, or your personal ratings.
However, it's probably best not to create too many columns, because you'll have to fill them in manually! This can take a lot of time if you have a large ebook collection.
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