How to Combine Your Kindle Library With Your iBook Library

Commercial e-books can be difficult to transfer between devices.

E-book users who use multiple devices often run into the challenge of getting all of their digital libraries into one place. To import your Kindle books into your iBooks library in iTunes, use a third-party program as a middleman. Calibre is an open-source e-book organizer that can import, export and convert your e-books into recognizable formats. Getting your Kindle books into iBooks is a three-fold process: import your Kindle library to Calibre, configure Calibre to work with iTunes, then transfer your imported Kindle books to iTunes in a converted format.

Instructions

1. Download and install Caliber (see Resources).

2. Launch Calibre. Plug your Kindle into your computer using the included data transfer cable. Click the "Device" icon on the Calibre toolbar to display all the books stored on your Kindle.

3. Drag and drop the books listed in the Device view over to the Library toolbar icon. This copies your Kindle books to your Calibre library. Leave Calibre open.

4. Launch iTunes and open the "Preferences" menu. Select "Advanced" and find the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" option. Make note of whether or not this option is checked -- you will need this information later in the installation process.

5. Go back to Calibre, open "Preferences" and select "Behavior." Set the Preferred Output Format to "EPUB." Re-open the "Preferences" menu and select "Conversion." Open "Common Options," then "Page Setup." Select "iPad" as your output profile. This applies even if you are using a different Apple device.

6. Go to "Preferences," "Plugins, "Device Interface Plugins" and "Apple Device Interface," then disable the Plugin option. Click "Customize Plugin." Set the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder" option to the same setting that you marked down in Step 3. Enable "EPUB" as your e-book format. When finished, restart Calibre.

7. Select "Connect," then "Share - Connect to iTunes." Select the books you wish to transfer within your Calibre library window. Click "Send to Device." At this point, Calibre treats iTunes as a separate device and displays a message asking if you want to auto-convert your books. Click "Yes" to automatically convert your Kindle titles to EPUB format.

Tips & Warnings

• Some of your Kindle e-books may be protected by DRM, software that prevents copying or conversion. Calibre cannot convert any DRM-protected files. In some countries, removing DRM from digital materials is illegal, but these laws vary. Though there are programs that can remove DRM from e-books, check the digital copyright laws in your country before using such a program.

References

• Calibre User Manual: The Graphical User Interface
• Calibre User Manual: FAQ - How Do I Use Calibre with my iPad/iPhone/iTouch?
• Teleread: The ABCs of E-Book Format Conversion - Easy Calibre Tips for the Kindle, Sony and Nook

Resources

• Caliber: E-Book Management