Goodreads integration

Import your Goodreads library into Libiry or export your Libiry catalog in Goodreads-compatible format.

Overview

Goodreads is a popular book tracking service. Libiry’s field names are compatible with Goodreads CSV exports, making it easy to:

• Import your Goodreads reading history
• Export your library for Goodreads import
• Maintain compatibility with Goodreads-based tools

Field mapping

Libiry fields follow Goodreads CSV naming:

Libiry field	Goodreads CSV column
booktitle	title
author	author
isbn	ISBN
rating	my rating
publisher	publisher
pages	number of pages
year	year published
tags	bookshelves
description	my review
notes	private notes

Some Libiry fields do not exist in Goodreads:

• cover (link to cover image location or URL)
• language
• series
• series_index
• author_sort
• page_count
• publication_date
• translator
• illustrator

Some Goodreads fields do not exist in Libiry:

• Author l-f
• Additional Authors
• ISBN13
• Average Rating
• Binding
• Original Publication Year
• Date Read
• Date Added
• Bookshelves with positions
• Exclusive Shelf
• Spoiler
• Read Count
• Owned Copies

Importing from Goodreads

Step 1: Export from Goodreads

1. Go to goodreads.com/review/import
2. Click “Export Library”
3. Download the CSV file

Step 2: Convert to Markdown

Use a spreadsheet or script to convert CSV to markdown:

Example Python script:

import csv
from pathlib import Path
 
def convert_goodreads_csv(csv_path, output_folder):
    with open(csv_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
        reader = csv.DictReader(f)
        for row in reader:
            # Create markdown content
            md = f"""---
booktitle: "{row['Title']}"
author: "{row['Author']}"
isbn: "{row['ISBN']}"
rating: {int(float(row['My Rating']) * 2) if row['My Rating'] else 0}
tags: [{row['Bookshelves']}]
description: "{row['My Review']}"
notes: "{row['Private Notes']}"
---
 
# {row['Title']}
 
By {row['Author']}
"""
            # Save file
            filename = row['Title'].replace(' ', '-')[:50] + '.md'
            output_path = Path(output_folder) / filename
            output_path.write_text(md, encoding='utf-8')
 
convert_goodreads_csv('goodreads_export.csv', 'Books/')

Step 3: Import to Libiry

Move the generated markdown files to your Libiry library folder.

Exporting to Goodreads format

Using Libiry2Go

1. Run Libiry2Go on your library
2. Output is in Goodreads-compatible field format
3. Create a CSV if needed for Goodreads import. You can use Obsidian Bases for this, for example

Goodreads CSV Format

If you need to create a CSV for Goodreads:

Title,Author,ISBN,My Rating,Bookshelves,My Review,Private Notes
"The Handmaid's Tale","Margaret Atwood","9780385490818",5,"distopian, scifi","Great book!",""
"Neuromancer","William Gibson","9780441569595",5,"","",""

Rating conversion

Goodreads uses 1-5 stars, Libiry uses 0-10 internally:

Goodreads	Libiry Internal	Libiry Display
1 star	2	★☆☆☆☆
2 stars	4	★★☆☆☆
3 stars	6	★★★☆☆
4 stars	8	★★★★☆
5 stars	10	★★★★★

Converting:

• Goodreads to Libiry: multiply by 2
• Libiry to Goodreads: divide by 2, round

Bookshelves to tags

Goodreads “Bookshelves” become Libiry “tags”:

Goodreads:

Bookshelves: fantasy, to-read, favorites

Libiry YAML:

tags:
  - fantasy
  - to-read
  - favorites

Libiry flat format:

tags: [fantasy, to-read, favorites]

Obsidian Plugins

Several Obsidian plugins sync with Goodreads:

Booksidian

• Imports Goodreads activity automatically
• Creates book notes with YAML frontmatter
• Uses same field names as Libiry

Book search

• Searches multiple sources including Goodreads
• Creates notes for new books
• Complements Libiry’s catalog

Maintaining sync

One-way import (Goodreads → Libiry)

1. Export from Goodreads periodically
2. Convert new books to markdown
3. Add to Libiry library
4. Remove duplicates with Twins filter

Manual sync

1. Read/finish in Goodreads
2. Update tags in Libiry
3. Add personal notes in Obsidian

Automated sync

Use services like:

• IFTTT webhooks
• Goodreads API (developer account required)
• Third-party sync tools

ISBN matching

Use ISBN for accurate matching:

1. In Goodreads, ensure ISBN is filled
2. In Libiry, ISBN enables duplicate detection
3. Book database lookups use ISBN

Private notes

Goodreads’ “Private Notes” maps to Libiry’s notes:

notes: "Borrowed from library, return by March"

These stay in your local files and are never uploaded.

Limitations

Goodreads API

The Goodreads API was deprecated. Current options:

• Manual CSV export/import
• Third-party tools (may be unofficial)
• RSS feeds (limited data)

Real-time sync

No automatic sync exists. Update manually or use:

• Periodic exports
• Obsidian plugins for Goodreads
• Personal scripts

Reading progress

Goodreads reading progress doesn’t export well. Track with:

• Libiry tags: reading, read, to-read
• Obsidian fields: status, progress