Where Is the Calibre Library Stored?
Calibre ebook library and config paths on Windows, macOS and Linux, and how to move the library without breaking metadata.
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A Calibre library is an ordinary folder with author subfolders, book files and a metadata.db index. You choose its location on first run. The default name is Calibre Library in your home folder. Each book gets a numbered folder you should leave alone.
Config is stored apart from books. That split matters during moves. Copy the library folder to keep ebooks. Copy the config folder to keep plugins, columns and conversion defaults. Moving just one leaves half the setup behind. Use Switch/create library to repoint safely.
Where Calibre stores this, by platform
C:\Users\[Username]\Calibre Library
Config is at %appdata%\calibre. To move libraries, use the Calibre toolbar library icon or copy the whole folder with Calibre closed, then point Calibre at the new path.
~/Calibre Library
Config lives at ~/Library/Preferences/calibre. The library folder itself is safe to keep on an external drive if space is tight.
~/Calibre Library
Config is at ~/.config/calibre. Keep metadata.db together with the author folders. Splitting them orphans the books from their metadata.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move my Calibre library to a new drive?
Close Calibre, copy the whole Calibre Library folder to the new drive, then reopen Calibre and use Switch/create library to point at it. Confirm book counts match before deleting the old copy.
Can I keep two separate Calibre libraries?
Yes. Click the library icon in the toolbar and choose Create an empty library or Switch. Each library is its own folder with its own metadata.db file.
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