diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf.py
index aa77e6aeed..d8763bc024 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf.py
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ class OPF(MetaInformation):
                 role = elem.get('opf:role')
             if not role:
                 role = 'aut'
-            if role == 'aut':
+            if role == 'aut' and elem.string:
                 raw = self.ENTITY_PATTERN.sub(entity_to_unicode, elem.string)
                 au = raw.split(',')
                 ans = []
@@ -293,13 +293,13 @@ class OPF(MetaInformation):
         
     def get_category(self):
         category = self.soup.find('dc:type')
-        if category:
+        if category and category.string:
             return self.ENTITY_PATTERN.sub(entity_to_unicode, category.string).strip()
         return None
     
     def get_publisher(self):
         publisher = self.soup.find('dc:publisher')
-        if publisher:
+        if publisher and publisher.string:
             return self.ENTITY_PATTERN.sub(entity_to_unicode, publisher.string).strip()
         return None
     
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class OPF(MetaInformation):
             scheme = item.get('scheme')
             if not scheme:
                 scheme = item.get('opf:scheme')
-            if scheme is not None and scheme.lower() == 'isbn':
+            if scheme is not None and scheme.lower() == 'isbn' and item.string:
                 return str(item.string).strip()
         return None
     
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ class OPF(MetaInformation):
     
     def get_series_index(self):
         s = self.soup.package.metadata.find('series-index')
-        if s:
+        if s and s.string:
             try:
                 return int(str(s.string).strip())
             except:
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ class OPF(MetaInformation):
         if not xm:
             return None
         s = xm.find('rating')
-        if s:
+        if s and s.string:
             try:
                 return int(str(s.string).strip())
             except:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library.py
index 72096cd0a5..03fb4c59b6 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2008, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
-import os, textwrap, traceback, time
+import os, textwrap, traceback, time, re
 from datetime import timedelta, datetime
 from operator import attrgetter
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class BooksModel(QAbstractTableModel):
         QAbstractTableModel.__init__(self, parent)
         self.db = None
         self.cols = ['title', 'authors', 'size', 'date', 'rating', 'publisher', 'tags', 'series']
-        self.editable_cols = [0, 1, 4, 5, 6]
+        self.editable_cols = [0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7]
         self.default_image = QImage(':/images/book.svg')
         self.sorted_on = (3, Qt.AscendingOrder)
         self.last_search = '' # The last search performed on this model
@@ -433,8 +433,19 @@ class BooksModel(QAbstractTableModel):
             if col == 4:
                 val = 0 if val < 0 else 5 if val > 5 else val
                 val *= 2
-            column = self.cols[col]
-            self.db.set(row, column, val)
+            if col == 7:
+                pat = re.compile(r'\[(\d+)\]')
+                match = pat.search(val)
+                id = self.db.id(row)
+                if match is not None:
+                    self.db.set_series_index(id, int(match.group(1)))
+                    val = pat.sub('', val)
+                val = val.strip()
+                if val:
+                    self.db.set_series(id, val)
+            else:
+                column = self.cols[col]
+                self.db.set(row, column, val)
             self.emit(SIGNAL("dataChanged(QModelIndex, QModelIndex)"), \
                                 index, index)
             if col == self.sorted_on[0]:
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/database.py b/src/calibre/library/database.py
index f637f292d8..10f27b1734 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/database.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/database.py
@@ -822,17 +822,18 @@ ALTER TABLE books ADD COLUMN isbn TEXT DEFAULT "" COLLATE NOCASE;
         '''
         Rebuild self.data and self.cache. Filter results are lost.
         '''
-        FIELDS = {'title'  : 'sort',
-                  'authors':  'author_sort',
-                  'publisher': 'publisher',
-                  'size': 'size',
-                  'date': 'timestamp',
-                  'timestamp':'timestamp',
-                  'formats':'formats',
-                  'rating': 'rating',
-                  'tags':'tags',
-                  'series': 'series',
-                  }
+        FIELDS = {
+                  'title'        : 'sort',
+                  'authors'      : 'author_sort',
+                  'publisher'    : 'publisher',
+                  'size'         : 'size',
+                  'date'         : 'timestamp',
+                  'timestamp'    : 'timestamp',
+                  'formats'      : 'formats',
+                  'rating'       : 'rating',
+                  'tags'         : 'tags',
+                  'series'       : 'series',
+                 }
         field = FIELDS[sort_field]
         order = 'ASC'
         if not ascending:
@@ -894,6 +895,11 @@ ALTER TABLE books ADD COLUMN isbn TEXT DEFAULT "" COLLATE NOCASE;
 
     def id(self, index):
         return self.data[index][0]
+    
+    def row(self, id):
+        for r, record in enumerate(self.data):
+            if record[0] == id:
+                return r
 
     def title(self, index, index_is_id=False):
         if not index_is_id:
@@ -1212,6 +1218,9 @@ ALTER TABLE books ADD COLUMN isbn TEXT DEFAULT "" COLLATE NOCASE;
                 aid = self.conn.execute('INSERT INTO series(name) VALUES (?)', (series,)).lastrowid
             self.conn.execute('INSERT INTO books_series_link(book, series) VALUES (?,?)', (id, aid))
         self.conn.commit()
+        row = self.row(id)
+        if row is not None:
+            self.data[row][9] = series
 
     def remove_unused_series(self):
         for id, in self.conn.execute('SELECT id FROM series').fetchall():
@@ -1222,6 +1231,9 @@ ALTER TABLE books ADD COLUMN isbn TEXT DEFAULT "" COLLATE NOCASE;
     def set_series_index(self, id, idx):
         self.conn.execute('UPDATE books SET series_index=? WHERE id=?', (int(idx), id))
         self.conn.commit()
+        row = self.row(id)
+        if row is not None:
+            self.data[row][10] = idx
 
     def set_rating(self, id, rating):
         rating = int(rating)