diff --git a/packages/api/src/jobs/ai/create_digest.ts b/packages/api/src/jobs/ai/create_digest.ts
index 8646cb405..41aa5b7ec 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/jobs/ai/create_digest.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/jobs/ai/create_digest.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ import {
   SSMLOptions,
 } from '@omnivore/text-to-speech-handler'
 import axios from 'axios'
-import { searchLibraryItems } from '../../services/library_item'
+import {
+  findLibraryItemsByIds,
+  searchLibraryItems,
+} from '../../services/library_item'
 import { redisDataSource } from '../../redis_data_source'
 import { htmlToMarkdown } from '../../utils/parser'
 import yaml from 'yaml'
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@ export interface CreateDigestJobData {
   voices?: string[]
   language?: string
   rate?: string
+  libraryItemIds?: string[]
 }
 
 export interface CreateDigestJobResponse {
@@ -125,7 +129,10 @@ const getPreferencesList = async (userId: string): Promise<LibraryItem[]> => {
 }
 
 // Makes multiple DB queries and combines the results
-const getCandidatesList = async (userId: string): Promise<LibraryItem[]> => {
+const getCandidatesList = async (
+  userId: string,
+  libraryItemIds?: string[]
+): Promise<LibraryItem[]> => {
   // use the queries from the digest definitions to lookup preferences
   // There should be a list of multiple queries we use. For now we can
   // hardcode these queries:
@@ -133,6 +140,10 @@ const getCandidatesList = async (userId: string): Promise<LibraryItem[]> => {
   //   count: 100
   //   reason: "most recent 100 items saved over 500 words
 
+  if (libraryItemIds) {
+    return findLibraryItemsByIds(libraryItemIds, userId)
+  }
+
   const candidates = await Promise.all(
     digestDefinition.candidateSelectors.map(async (selector) => {
       // use the selector to fetch items
diff --git a/packages/api/src/routers/digest_router.ts b/packages/api/src/routers/digest_router.ts
index 24f2bb103..2cc8649c7 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/routers/digest_router.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/routers/digest_router.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ interface CreateDigestRequest {
   language?: string
   rate?: string
   schedule?: CreateDigestJobSchedule
+  libraryItemIds?: string[]
 }
 
 export function digestRouter() {
diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts b/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
index 9adcde7b0..647b248db 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/library_item.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { redisDataSource } from '../redis_data_source'
 import {
   authTrx,
   getColumns,
+  getColumnsDbName,
   getRepository,
   queryBuilderToRawSql,
 } from '../repository'
@@ -625,13 +626,11 @@ export const buildQuery = (
   userId: string
 ) => {
   // select all columns except content
-  const selects: Select[] = getColumns(libraryItemRepository)
-    .map((column) => ({ column: `library_item.${column}` }))
+  const selects: Select[] = getColumnsDbName(libraryItemRepository)
     .filter(
-      (select) =>
-        select.column !== 'library_item.readableContent' &&
-        select.column !== 'library_item.originalContent'
+      (select) => select !== 'readable_content' && select !== 'original_content'
     )
+    .map((column) => ({ column: `library_item.${column}` }))
 
   const parameters: ObjectLiteral[] = []
   const orders: Sort[] = []
@@ -652,10 +651,18 @@ export const buildQuery = (
   queryBuilder.where('library_item.user_id = :userId', { userId })
 
   // add select
-  selects.forEach((select) => {
+  selects.forEach((select, index) => {
+    if (index === 0) {
+      queryBuilder.select(select.column, select.alias)
+    }
+
     queryBuilder.addSelect(select.column, select.alias)
   })
 
+  if (args.includeContent) {
+    queryBuilder.addSelect('library_item.readable_content')
+  }
+
   if (!args.includePending) {
     queryBuilder.andWhere("library_item.state <> 'PROCESSING'")
   }
@@ -754,18 +761,14 @@ export const findRecentLibraryItems = async (
 }
 
 export const findLibraryItemsByIds = async (ids: string[], userId: string) => {
-  const selectColumns = getColumns(libraryItemRepository)
-    .filter(
-      (column) => column !== 'readableContent' && column !== 'originalContent'
-    )
+  const selectColumns = getColumnsDbName(libraryItemRepository)
+    .filter((column) => column !== 'original_content')
     .map((column) => `library_item.${column}`)
   return authTrx(
     async (tx) =>
       tx
         .createQueryBuilder(LibraryItem, 'library_item')
         .select(selectColumns)
-        .leftJoinAndSelect('library_item.labels', 'labels')
-        .leftJoinAndSelect('library_item.highlights', 'highlights')
         .where('library_item.id IN (:...ids)', { ids })
         .getMany(),
     undefined,