Add new books to a NOOK Simple Touch using calibre
In June 2024, Barnes & Noble discontinued online services for the NOOK Simple Touch, its e-reader released in 2011. Owners can no longer buy books through the NOOK shop, sign in to their accounts or register their readers. This means they can no longer use the original service to add new books to their devices.
Fortunately, the NOOK Simple Touch can still be used to read new books. It supports sideloading, which means transferring e-books from a computer to the reader using a USB cable.
Free software such as calibre can help with this. calibre lets you organise your e-book collection on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer and transfer books directly to your NOOK. This means you can continue enjoying new books on your existing reader, without needing the discontinued Barnes & Noble services.
Getting started
You'll need your NOOK Simple Touch, a computer and a suitable USB cable. The NOOK uses a micro-USB connection.
Download and install calibre from its official website, then add your e-books to its library. Connect your NOOK to the computer using the USB cable. Once calibre recognises the reader, you can select the books you want and use Send to device to transfer them. Eject the reader safely before unplugging it.
The NOOK supports EPUB and PDF books. You can also transfer compatible files directly to the reader without calibre, but calibre makes it easier to organise and manage a collection.
Useful links
A few things to know
The transfer method works with compatible e-book files, including books you've downloaded from sources other than Barnes & Noble. Some purchased e-books have digital restrictions that prevent them from being transferred or opened on another device.
If your NOOK is already working, avoid factory-resetting or deregistering it. The closure of Barnes & Noble's registration services means you may not be able to complete its original setup again.
About this solution
calibre is free, open-source software developed by Kovid Goyal and its contributors. You can learn more at calibre-ebook.com.
Barnes & Noble confirms that the Simple Touch still supports transferring books from other sources. We haven't independently tested this solution on a Simple Touch with a current computer.
Have you used calibre to keep an older NOOK working? We'd welcome your experiences and any corrections or improvements to this guide.