Book Isle batch import: move an old collection with a clear audit trail

Moving years of ebooks from a computer into Book Isle involves more than selecting files. You need to know which books are readable and which merely have a cover on the shelf. Use a small list of about twenty books to separate import results, readable formats and outstanding work before expanding. This batch size is a working method, not an app limit.

Make an original file inventory

Keep complete originals on your computer or in Files, and select a sample batch. Record title, author, format, file location and edition. Give different formats separate rows, and identify different translations separately. Count actual files; a folder name does not establish that every book inside is ready.

Start with a few small known files: a working EPUB, PDF and TXT. Mark any formats that can be managed but are not directly readable, so shelf presence is not confused with reading readiness. Keep the inventory outside the app to help identify omissions.

Decide each file's destination in import preview

Open local file import on the bookshelf and choose this batch. Use the selection controls available in your version, splitting large groups if needed. Inspect titles and formats in preview. For duplicate or multiple-format suggestions, establish whether the files really represent the same book rather than merging similar names automatically.

An EPUB and PDF of the same work may belong together; revised editions, different translators and extracts need their own distinctions. Pause uncertain items and inspect copyright pages and contents. Duplicate suggestions are clues, not decisions about textual equivalence or a substitute for edition records.

Verify import and readable content separately

After import, check the titles and actual entries, then open representative files of every format. Examine beginning, middle and end, and use contents to enter a later chapter. Look for cover-only files, blank text or missing endings. Check the last PDF page and the end of TXT files.

Do not inspect only the largest files. A small EPUB may lack images, while a large scanned PDF can still miss pages. Mark the external inventory as imported, sampled or pending. Keep the bookshelf's reading status for actual reading progress rather than marking books finished merely to track migration checks.

Record failed files and conversion work separately

For failures, note format, size, error and source; first confirm the file opens on the original device. If a cloud file provider has not downloaded the original, finish that download before retrying. Repeatedly importing the same selection can create duplicates and obscure the initial problem.

MOBI, AZW, AZW3, CBR and DJVU can be managed, but this does not promise direct reading. Keep originals and use tools you are entitled to use to create EPUB, PDF or CBZ copies. Check the new files separately. Changing an extension renames a file; it does not convert or repair it.

Find omissions from the inventory, not cover counts

Compare the source list row by row with confirmed entries. Multiple formats of a work may share a management relationship, so file counts and shelf cards need not match. Each planned file should have a known destination, and the edition you intend to read should actually open.

If a book seems missing, clear searches and filters, then try its author or a short title. Internal metadata can produce a different cover or title from the filename. Check the content and record the destination when found; only then investigate import records for genuinely missing items instead of deleting the whole batch.

Keep problem batches small before scaling up

Classify initial failures: unavailable source files, conversion needs, uncertain editions or damaged content. Keep the next batch to one source or format so errors are easier to reproduce. Increase size once the process is stable without abandoning individual checks merely to finish everything at once.

Retain originals and the inventory until the shelf, text and important reading records are reliable. If you also use a NAS, complete a local batch before remote samples to separate download failures from local import issues. Import checks do not replace your own file backups or edition history.

Cross-check three books before finishing

Reopen one early import, one late import and one book whose duplicate relationship you resolved. Check author, edition, contents and a passage, rather than shelf presence alone. Return to the Home Screen and reopen the app to verify all three still open the intended edition and resume reasonably.

Every inventory row should end with a clear outcome: readable and checked, retained in original format, awaiting conversion or needing a replacement file. Unknown items mean migration is partial and can continue. Recording uncertainty is more useful than marking everything successful just to make the counts look complete.

Related tutorials and sources

Continue checking your files with local ebook basics and Book Isle multiple-format management. For reading records, see notes and data export.

Checked on October 26, 2026 using Apple's public version information: Book Isle 1.1.3 requires iOS / iPadOS 15.6 or later. Feature scope follows the official App Store listing. This article describes a workflow and checks; it does not claim step-by-step testing on a physical device or private server. Follow the controls in your installed version.