Calibre

Calibre is the free desktop program most people use to keep an ebook library in order and copy books onto a reader. With the Clara BW it works over a USB-C cable out of the box, and wirelessly once you add a plugin.

What to know before you start

• The Clara BW reads EPUB directly. You do not need to convert anything for a normal EPUB to work.
• KEPUB is Kobo’s own version of EPUB. It adds better in-book page numbers and reading statistics on Kobo devices. Calibre can send books as KEPUB automatically once you turn that setting on — it is optional, and covered as an aside in the guide below.
• Sideloaded books sit next to store books in “My Books” on the home screen.
• Keep your originals as EPUB. Convert only when a specific device needs it, and keep the EPUB. Every conversion can introduce small formatting errors.

The Clara BW’s 6-inch screen means margins and font size matter more than on a larger reader; that is a setting inside the book, not something Calibre controls.

Start here

• Send books to the Kobo Clara BW with Calibre — the USB method, step by step.