1. Zotero:
An Information Playlist for
Libraries & Librarians
Chanitra Bishop, Indiana University
Jessica Trinoskey, IUPUI
ILF 2010 Annual Conference
November 17, 2010

2. Program Outline
1. Overview of Zotero
2. Demonstrate Zotero Features
3. Zotero in Your Library
Zotero

3. What is Zotero?
(quick video)
Zotero
Zotero is:
Source: www.zotero.org/about/

4. To Summarize:
• Zotero is a free bibliographic management tool.
• Zotero exists within Firefox.
• With Zotero, you can:
• Collect, store, and organize web resources in
your Zotero library.
• Export citations and create bibliographies.
• Share citations and notes.

5. Your Zotero Library
Right Column Tabs
Info: Displays bibliographic information such
as author, title, pages; also allow you to find
the item online using the “View” or “Locate”
buttons
Notes: Use this area to write down
ideas/comments related to the article
Tags: Add subject headings or keywords to
your citations; automatically added by some
databases
Related: This tab allows you to connect
related citations in your library
Zotero
Columns
•The left column allow you to organize
your library. You can create collections
within your library, manage your tags and
import/export citations
•The middle column displays the
references in your library & allows you to
manually add citations, take a snapshot of
a web page, etc.
•The right column displays bibliographic
information for each citation. It contains
4 tabs that allows you to add or edit
information for each citation

6. Importing citations into Zotero
When Zotero “recognizes” a website/catalog/database,
import citations with a click of an icon in the location
bar:
When Zotero doesn’t automatically recognize a resource,
import citations manually with a click of an icon in your
Zotero library:
… or just take a quick snapshot of the current page:
Zotero

7. Organizing Your Zotero Library
• Creating Collections
• Tags

8. Customizing Zotero
Gears icon, select preferences

9. Syncing
Automatically sync your data between multiple computers

10. Zotero Online
With your Zotero account:
– View your Zotero library anywhere there is an
Internet connection using any web browser
– Store & access PDFs, images, & other files in your
Zotero library
• 100 MB Free
• 1 GB $20 per yr
• 5 GB $60 per yr
• 10 GB $100 per yr
• 25 GB $240 per yr

11. Creating a Bibliography (1)
Right click an Item & Create Bibliography
Zotero

12. Creating a Bibliography (2)
Drag and Drop into any text editor:
• Email messages
• Word documents
• Blogs
Zotero

13. Creating a Bibliography (3)
Microsoft Word Plug-in (Mac)
Zotero
Microsoft Word Plug-in (PC)

14. Archive & Annotate the Web
• Annotate/Snapshots
– Add Item From Current Page
• Amazon
• NY Times
• Blogs
• Wikipedia

15. Groups
• Easy to set up
• Can be public or private
• Access is controlled by group administrator
• Allow others to view citations and notes
• Group Discussions

16. Zotero Everywhere!
• Currently under development (no timeline)
• Standalone desktop version of Zotero for
Macs, Windows & Linux
• Web & mobile version with read/write access
to Zotero libraries
• Available in Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and
Microsoft Internet Explorer

17. Considerations
• Currently only works in Firefox
• Update lags (doesn’t always work)
• Perpetual Beta Mode
• No on-demand help function
Zotero

18. For Assistance
• Getting Help Guide
• Zotero Forums
– Determine if a problem is known
– Take advantage of an enthusiastic community of
users

19. Using Zotero Where You
(And Your Library Users)
Are

20. Individual Users/Projects
Sample projects include:
• Amateur genealogists
• Home remodel project
• Archiving personal receipts

21. Collection Development with Zotero
Use Zotero to store records of items, then go
back and take a closer look when you have
time dedicated to collection development.
• Amazon.com bestsellers
• Take snapshots of articles, blog entries, etc.
Zotero

22. Groups – Book Club
• Book Club
• Committee Work

23. Groups – Committee Work
• Book Club
• Committee Work

24. Zotero in the Classroom

25. Zotero & Information Literacy
• Encourage good research habits
• Help students organize their research & keep
track of citations
– Easy to cite sources
– Easily locate the source again using the “Locate”
button in Zotero
– Encourage students to add call number of books
Zotero

26. Zotero & Information Literacy
• Track and understand type of sources used
– Web site, book chapter, book, journal article,
newspaper art,
– Keep track of information found
 Has enough background information been found?
 Is it a primary/secondary sources?
• Annotated Bibliography
– Use “Notes” to indicate why a particular source
was chosen & create “report”
Zotero

27. Evaluating Information
Help students choose articles, websites, etc.
appropriate for research
– Select web site(s) & analyze in small groups or as a
class
– Use annotate features to highlight words/phrases
that indicate:
• Bias
• Creditability
• purpose

28. Evaluating Websites
Require students to create new Zotero items
from web pages and manually enter citation
information for each web site.
– encourages students to think more critically about
the web sites they choose
• Who actually created this site (organization or
individual)?
• When was the web site created/when was the last time
it was updated
– Use notes feature to discuss accuracy & purpose
Zotero

29. Evaluating Websites
– helps students to better understand the
authorship and organization of web sites
• Is this web site a part of a larger site?
• Does the site have multiple authors?
• Is this the main site or a blog?
– Web sites are dynamic and may change
Zotero

30. Links to Get You Started
(also on the handout)
• Quick Links/Getting Started Guide:
www.zotero.org/support
• “How do I back up my Zotero Library?” (including troubleshooting)
www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data
• Zotero Groups home:
www.zotero.org/groups
• Word Processor Integration
www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_integration
• Screencast Tutorials:
www.zotero.org/support/screencast_tutorials

31. Questions?
Presentation content & image credit: www.zotero.org