Hidden Books: Consider moving into Library Prioritization

Sean T · 2025-03-01T01:16:38+00:00

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Hiding books is just another form of prioritization. The current interface for hiding books is terrible / hidden and management of it even worse. Prioritization is also terrible, but I'm hoping you'll eventually invest some time in it, and then maybe move this over there as well.

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Dave Hooton

Hiding books is just another form of prioritization…

This statement does not make sense as books are hidden so that they can be physically removed from the installation and not appear in features where they could be used or listed.

I would agree with your suggestion if you wanted to improve the interface, and/or move Hiding into the Library panel as another sidebar.

Sean T

This statement does not make sense as books are hidden so that they can be physically removed from the installation and not appear in features where they could be used or listed.

This is true from how it currently works, and I would definitely be happy to see it moved outside of Settings and the UI improved if nothing else. However, I think it's a mistake to combine these two concepts as if it's necessary that they are one and the same. A user's desire to generally hide something because they usually don't want to interact with it / include it in search is not necessarily the same thing as what a user doesn't want to have downloaded.

If Hidden was a first-class concept, you could add an "Include Hidden" checkbox in Books search, for example. You're likely thinking you can accomplish this same thing with Collections. The difference is that "Hidden" would go beyond that. For instance, books in Hidden wouldn't show up in Factbook or be processed as content anywhere else the software might try and show additional / related info, but the books themselves would still be available as needed.

If I was to take this further, I'd say you introduce a higher-level concept of "Study Context". It would act like separate user profiles with an easy way to switch between them, and then you could have differing configurations of "Hidden" assigned to each context to constrain what resources are included based on your current study goals.

Dave Hooton

A user's desire to generally hide something because they usually don't want to interact with it / include it in search is not necessarily the same thing as what a user doesn't want to have downloaded.

This was needed with your original post. But how is this different to Cloud resources (Library > Devices > Not on this device) where "Cloud Books" is an option in Books Search (for example) and they can be Prioritized ready for use when downloaded via the right-click menu.

Sean T

I don't believe you could ever achieve the scenario I laid out with "Include Hidden" or "Study Context" with Cloud Resources. The idea here is that you actually do have the books on your device, but you're managing when they're relevant to you.

MJ. Smith

@Sean T.

The idea here is that you actually do have the books on your device, but you're managing when they're relevant to you.

That's what I use collections for if I understand you correctly. I have a collection called Logos/Verbum which I use rather than search literally all my books. I have a collection called Staunchly Catholic which I use when I want partisan searches - it's actually most liturgical traditions. I have a collection called Trash which contains mainly cheap paperback popular Christian resources . . /

Sean T

I believe you still can't accomplish what I'm asking about. Books in collections are still processed by Factbook, used in Insights and other links, etc. If I want to be in "Staunchly Catholic" mode, my end goal would be that I'd be able to hide all the other non-Staunchly Catholic stuff such that it didn't show up in all the places it might show up, but I'm not looking to be permanently rid of those resources, either.

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

Hiding books is just another form of prioritization.

That is not the intent of the current "Hidden Resources" setting. "Hidden Resources" is for books the user wishes had never been part of the Library and never wants to see ever again.

The current interface for hiding books is terrible / hidden and management of it even worse.

If you're regularly moving books in and out of Hidden Resources, you're not using it as it was intended to be used. (Hiding a book should be fairly simple; you can right-click and do it in the Library.)

Sean T

@Bradley Grainger (Logos) - I'm overloading the term which is causing mental friction here for long time users.

I think there are two concepts:

1) Books you never want to engage with ever - currently called Hidden but I think should be called "Ignored" or "Banished" or something like that. :) - it would be great to see the UI improved here for adding / removing and getting it out of its hiding place in Settings. They are still technically part of your library and should just have a way to reflect themselves in the Library (albeit tucked away and out of sight).

2) Books you don't want bleeding into your current study context (but in a different study context you might) - these are the ones I'm calling "Hidden". They should still be on my device. If you loaded one directly from the Library, it would open up, but it doesn't influence any of the features that feed content or navigation like Insights Panel, Factbook, etc.

As an aside, you mentioned hiding a book being simple from the Library. If I right-click a resource in the Library, the option I see is labeled "Remove from this device". I'm assuming this is what you're referring to as hidden? If so, I'd expect it to be labeled "Add to Hidden Books" as that's what the current section in Program Settings is called (or, alternatively, change "Hidden Books" in "Program Settings to "Removed from this Device"

Aaron Hamilton

As an aside, you mentioned hiding a book being simple from the Library. If I right-click a resource in the Library, the option I see is labeled "Remove from this device".

@Sean T. Ctrl+right-click in the library will display the option to hide a resource.

Sean T

Clever… hiding the Hide option. 😂. I had no idea Ctrl-Right-Click would do anything - does it do anything elsewhere?

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

Sorry; I forgot that we made it Ctrl+Right-click (and didn't test before I made the post).

One of the reasons for not showing it by default is that a new user might not know all the implications of "hiding" and that unhiding is more complex than just a right-click.

Sean T

Got it, but I feel like this bolsters my position. At the point where you feel the need to add hidden menu items to accomplish something in your software, it's time for a full UX revisit of the feature and user goals.

"Hidden" books right now are more liked "Banished" or "Excommunicated" books. The implications of "Hidden" and the reality are vastly different. It should be rebranded and surfaced in a way (perhaps in the library) where you can communicate the intent and a user can manage it easily. I'd advocate you should reserve the use of the word "Hidden" to enable some of the context-related scenarios I proposed above even if you don't want to get to them right now.

DMB

The term 'Hidden' has never been satisfying. I can't think of a better term … Storage? But the concept is 'thank goodness'. 'Banished' doesn't quite fit. Unwanted is closer. Large chunks of Perseus, and various libraries merit 'unwanted' but unavoidably handed over in the buying process.

The other idea of library views above (or similar) are already handled adaquately (for me) using tags. I design mine for hierarchical use … a short tag, a whole group, with a lengthened tag, successive sub-groups.

But Sean's idea might be good … flesh it out a bit. For sure the prioritization and collection processes need help.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1361429#Comment_1361429

Sean, stop trying to rebrand "Hidden" to your idea and accept Hidden (and Cloud) as defined and understood. Use a different term for your concept, perhaps start over, because this thread is going nowhere.

Sean T

I provided my feedback. Guess I'll let Logos do what they will with it.

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