# Getting started

> Install Books & Shelves, connect it to Calibre and make a note for every book.

## Install

During the beta, Books & Shelves is installed with the BRAT plugin.

1. In **Settings → Community plugins**, install and enable **BRAT**.
2. Run **BRAT: Add a beta plugin for testing** and enter `Insurgent-Methods/model-hub`. Enable **Model Hub** and add a provider in its settings.
3. Run the BRAT command again and enter `Insurgent-Methods/books-and-shelves`. Enable **Books & Shelves**.

## Connect to Calibre

1. In Calibre, select **Connect/share → Start Content server**.
2. In Obsidian, open **Settings → Books & Shelves → Library**.
3. Under **Connections**, Calibre should show as reachable. If not, select **Connect…**, check the **Content Server address** (by default `http://localhost:8080`) and select **Test**.

More detail: [Connect to Calibre](connect-to-calibre.md).

## Make your book notes

1. On the **Library** tab, under **Sync**, select **Sync…**. Or run **Books & Shelves: Sync notes from Calibre**.
2. Read what it would do: which notes it would create, which notes you already have it would match, and any books it can't place with certainty.
3. Confirm. Your notes are written to `Books/Library`.

No model is used and nothing is written to Calibre.

## Add covers

On the **Notes** tab, under **Covers**, select **Find…**. Each book note without a cover gets one.

## Next

- [Build shelves](shelves.md)
- [Keep a reading list](reading-list.md)
- [Summarize a book](summaries.md)

If something did not work, see [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md).