Using Calibre For E-Book

Management

Chad Mairn

@cmairn

http://www.slideshare.net/chadmairn

What is calibre?

calibre is a “free and open source e-book library management application developed by users of e-books for users of e-books.”

http://calibre-ebook.com/

What can calibre do?

• Manages your e-book collection.• Converts many e-book formats.• Syncs to a variety of e-readers.• Downloads RSS feeds & converts to an e-book.• Comprehensive e-book viewer.• Content server for online access to your collection.

Is it legal to convert e-book formats?

YES and NO

“You might be tempted to look for some way to remove DRM from e-books in order to facilitate conversion. A word of warning about doing this: In the USA there is a law known as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This law makes it illegal to circumvent a copy protection system (DRM is such a copy protection system). It also makes it illegal to produce tools, distribute tools, and aid in circumvention. Not everyone lives in the USA, but many countries have similar laws. Check your local laws and realize that even though you may only want to read an EPUB book that you’ve legally purchased on your Kindle, it may not be legal to do so. If you don’t like this silliness—and I don’t—then speak up to whoever in your country makes the relevant laws.”

WARNING!

Going further, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act states:

Exception #1:Nonprofit library, archive and educational institution (section 1201(d)).The prohibition on the act of circumvention of access control measures is subject to an exception that permits nonprofit libraries, archives and educational institutions to circumvent solely for the purpose of making a good faith determination as to whether they wish to obtain authorized access to the work.

“ … the public will have the continued ability to make fair use of copyrighted works. Since copying of a work may be a fair use under appropriate circumstances, section 1201 does not prohibit the act of circumventing a technological measure that prevents copying. By contrast, since the fair use doctrine is not a defense to the act of gaining unauthorized access to a work, the act of circumventing a technological measure in order to gain access is prohibited.”

Would you be willing to help a patron access

and/or transfer an e-publication using Calibre?

Why or why not?

calibre Demos

Demo 1

Find an e-book and transfer it to a device.

Demo 2

Convert a DRM-free e-book to another

format.

Demo 3

Over-the-air (OTA)e-book transfer to a

Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire

Demo 4

Create an e-book from RSS feeds.

Demo 5

Playing with the Content Server

calibre ResourcesGet calibre! http://calibre-ebook.com/download

calibre User Manual: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/

calibre: Watch it in action!

http://calibre-ebook.com/demo

calibre MobileRead Forums:

http://goo.gl/M9y0G

Let’s Hangout!

gplus.to/chadmairn