Streamlining Digital Libraries

If you're anything like me then you aren't just getting your eBooks and eComics on just one platform but many different ones. Problem with that is how you're getting all this together into a single place, organised and synchronised with your eReader.

You end up manually downloading eBooks, trying to fix metadata by hand and wrestling with cables or cloud uploads just to read a book. It works if you have a book or two but not with a growing library. Managing it quickly turns from a relaxing hobby into basically a second job.

For a long time Calibre and Calibre Web have been the go-to solutions for taking back control of your media. But even then, I found myself wanting more – more automations and better integration with my devices and the services that I use.

That's exactly why I built Autocaliweb.

In short, Autocaliweb is an open-source eBook management platform that you can self-host. It takes the web interface of Calibre-Web, supercharges it with the heavy-lifting automation services of Calibre-Web Automated you actually need to keep a library running in the background and combines it with own features.

Instead of forcing you to jump between different tools to download, convert, and sync, Autocaliweb acts as the central brain of your digital bookshelf.

While being built on top of amazing free and open-source projects I didn't just wanted to smash these projects together. I wanted to add features and fix specific friction points while – at that time – providing a up to date version of the projects.

Those core features that define Autocaliweb are:

• A native support for docker mods (like those from LinuxServer.io) which adapt perfectly to your stack without requiring a manual custom build.
• Autocaliweb provides granular Kobo eReader syncing. You can set if your Kobo eReader should show the Kobo Plus or Overdrive tabs and Instapaper Integration directly from the Web UI.
• Send your eBook library to multiple Send-to-Reader eMail addresses.
• Full support for custom Open ID Connect (OIDC) providers with well-known configuration support with an optional auto-login.
• It features native integration with Hardcover.app to cache author information and sync your reading progress (especially helpful if you're using a Kobo eReader).

If you've been already following my work, you have noticed that Autocaliweb had it's repository moved from GitHub to the Berlin-based Codeberg. Making it – from my perspective the first and only calibre based web platform with an official repository on Codeberg.

When you build a project centered around digital sovereignty and taking back control of your eBook library, it only feels right to host the code in a place that shares those exact same community-driven values. Moving away from corporate, algorithm-heavy US platforms to an independent, European forge aligns perfectly with what Autocaliweb stands for.

Next on the roadmap is an official Autocaliweb addon for Libre Workspace. If you have further ideas than please either mention those in the exclusive Matrix space (for Growth members) or as a feature request on the repository.

In the meantime you can try and use Autocaliweb via Docker, natively or as an Proxmox LXC via the Proxmox Helper Scripts.

Let me know how it works for your library, and happy reading! 📖

If you want to hear more from me, you can find me in the Fediverse at @gelbphoenix@social.gelbphoenix.de (Mastodon) or @gelbphoenix@gram.social (Pixelfed). For more posts like this subscribe to my newsletter or support me by becoming a member or donating.

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