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Backup and restore

Librario backs up the data of all accounts automatically every day. There are two ways to create your own backups: order a paid backup from us, or run them yourself through the REST API at no extra cost.

System backups

Librario creates automatic backups of all customers’ data every day. These backups protect against technical problems and system failures on our side. In the unlikely event of data loss caused by us, we can restore your data up to the last successful backup. The Trust Center describes where the backups are stored and how they are encrypted.

Keep your own backups as well

We strongly recommend that you also keep your own backups. They protect you against:

  • Someone in your organisation deleting data by mistake
  • Unintended changes to publications
  • Data loss from faulty bulk operations

You have two options for your own backups. The exports in Librario itself (publication lists as CSV, BibTeX or EndNote) are free as well, but they contain only the metadata and no files. That makes them no substitute for a full backup.

1. Backup as a service

We create a full backup of your data on request as a paid service:

  1. Email our support team and tell us which cloud storage service you want us to put the backup in
  2. We create a complete backup and upload it to your cloud storage
  3. You receive a confirmation once the upload has succeeded

2. Automated backups through the API

If your IT runs its own scripts, our REST API lets you create a backup of your data. You run these backups yourself, at no extra cost. For the backup to include the attached files, the token needs the assets:read permission as well as library:read. Without it, the responses contain no download links.

  • You decide when to back up and what to include: publications, files, hard copies, collections and authority records.

Best practices for API backups

  • Download a file again only if its checksum or updated_at has changed. /publications/all always returns the complete metadata.
  • Schedule backups outside main working hours (after 19:00 Central European time)
  • Document your backup processes for emergencies
  • Test restoring from your backups regularly

Both ways need a person to set them off. A backup through the API does not run by itself either: someone has to start the script or set up and monitor the cron job. Plan this step as a recurring task so that the backup does not get forgotten: for example monthly, to run the script or check that the cron job ran and that a backup can be restored, or yearly, to order a backup as a service from us.

Getting help

If you have questions about backup strategies or the technical setup, our support team can help you with:

  • Planning your backup strategy
  • Setting up automated backups
  • Carrying out manual backups
  • Restoring data