Importing: Bring Your Library into Litcadia
By Litcadia · · 2 min read
Importing Books
What's frustrating about some book trackers? Imports...
With Litcadia, imports do NOT create duplicates. All three importers (Goodreads, StoryGraph, and the Streak CSV) are safe to re-run, though the "how" differs slightly.
Library imports (GR/SG):
Each row is matched to a specific book (by ISBN, or title+author if no ISBN). If that book is already in your library, re-importing updates that same entry instead of adding a second copy then refreshes the shelf, dates, rating, review, etc. from the file rather than duplicating it.
One safeguard: if the existing entry is already Currently Reading/Finished/DNF and the new row says "to-read" (common when GR lists the same book under multiple editions), the re-import won't downgrade it back to Want to Read.
Streak Imports
Streaks are important, we get it, and we don't want you to lose them just because you are starting with a new book tracker. Reading days are deduped (i.e. checked against what's already there so the same thing doesn't get added twice.) by date (a day already logged never gets a second row), and the book entries under each day are deduped by date+title together. So re-uploading the same export, or one with overlapping dates, just fills in anything new and skips what's already there.
Templates
Templates for both reading history and streaks are also available for download in the settings on Litcadia. These can be used to backfill, update or use a different platforms data that hasn't been fully integrated in LC backend import (like SG & GR).
Bulk Editing
We know not every exporter is the same, and because of that we have built in bulk editing systems to help you adjust and correct any discrepancies that may come about quickly and easily after import.
Notes About Imports
Some common issues we have found with GR (for example) is on reread data, GoodReads will often only record and export the "last" known read dates of your books. With LC you can easily add additional reread dates to update your library for the most accurate data.
Goodreads WILL export "times read" which will flag them as missing data for you to easily find what's missing to correct it. Select the LitLedger then LitRecords to update any missing date after an import.
StoryGraph we have found to have the best export options with rereads and other import data, and we have built in systems that will automatically convert your tagged books with shelves for your library after import, so your library stays organized.
Catalog Updates
Litcadia is a newer site, and while we have thousands of books and authors, building our backlog of books relies on several sources, a huge one being members. If all of your books have not populated feel free to flag any of them for a mod to review and backfill data. Entire libraries with titles and data will be imported instantly, but some of the books information may take some time to backfill. Feel free to join our support discord server for any additional questions or help.
Join the conversation
Log in to like this article, read and leave comments, and see how many readers it's reached.
