Have you ever lost your files? Crashing hard drives and accidental deletions teach us that there are two kinds of people: those who backup their files and those that will start to backup their files. Thankfully, calibre comes with tools to do just that – quickly and easily. That way you won’t lose your collection the next time your laptop crashes.

How to Export Your eBook Library

If you want to prepare for a disaster or just move your collection to your new device, make a backup. To export your calibre library:

1. First, click on the “[your library name]” button on the main screen and select “Export/Import all calibre data”.
   
2. Then, choose “Export all your calibre data”.
   
3. In the dialog box select the library you want to export and click “OK”.
   
4. Finally, select the folder where you want to save your backup in.
   

This process will create a series of 1 GB-large files with your whole library. You can then save it on a backup drive, burn them to DVDs or just stash them away somewhere safe.

How to Import Your eBook Library

You exported your library. Now, to restore your library after a loss or move it to your new computer, you need to import it:

1. First, go to “Calibre library > Export/Import all calibre data” once again.
2. This time select “Import previously exported data”.
   
3. Then, find the source folder of your backup.
   
4. And finally, specify where to save it.
5. Then, click “OK”.