Best way to leave a library as legacy

lsc3753

Hello,

I have a group library with several collections and around 1000 items with pdfs saved as stored files.
I may soon be leaving my organisation, likely ending my licence, and would like to leave this library (pdfs sorted into collections) with remaining team members, who don't actually use Zotero (up to now, while it has been accessible to them, I have been feeding them information when necessary). I think that the best way to do this would be a file structure on a team shared drive. What is the best way for me to 'export' this into a file structure?

Many thanks!

adamsmith

I think moving it to your personal library and then using Zotfile is the quickest way to get the collection structured replicated in a file structure (ZotFile doesn't work in groups)

gaiasphere

I quickly looked through the zotfile site. I did not find info relating to exporting a collection structure. Might you be able to provide any further guidance?

adamsmith

It's under the Renaming Rules (%c)

gaiasphere

Primary goal: I am seeking to transfer a full copy of a group library to the group of another account owner. This new account owner is also considering establishing a lab account.

I am so happy to be able to copy multiple references from one library to another with drag and drop. We tested that feature and it works. Quite awesome. However, I cannot drag and drop a collection and subcollections. In this case, it will be multiple collections with their numerous configurations of subcollections.

Q: Other than using zotfile renaming rules, what are my options? Is there a setting I need to adjust to allow drag and drop to work?

Other notes: As I write this, I also continue to hunt around in the zotero guidance materials: Documentation and Forum. Great features in zotero. So appreciate the tool! Thank you.

adamsmith

Don't use Zotfile for this -- that's going to be a mess for groups and shouldn't be necessary.
You should be able to drag individual collections (including their subcollections) between groups, so start by testing that again.

gaiasphere

Okay. Thinking you had gone behind the scenes and reconfigured a setting, I just now tested again and cannot drag and drop. Same result. The destination does not turn blue so that I can do so. I am working in the cloud version.

DWL-SDCA

Try again using the application that resides on your computer (not on the web). Moving collections in and out of groups is easy to accomplish within the program. You can reassign ownership of a group.

edit: In my case (for reasons too complex to explain here), because I sync manually only when needed, I need to remember to force a sync each time I move things around in collections and groups. So, if you don't have automatic synchronization turned on, be sure to force a sync after you have moved your records from place to place so that the online group members remain current.

adamsmith

Yes, sorry, when we talk about "Zotero" without other specifications, we always talk about the locally installed app, not the web library, which is significantly more limited (and doesn't allow any add-ons, so ZotFile, e.g., wouldn't apply there at all)

gaiasphere

Very good. Whew! That worked. Computer install. Thank you.

1. So it is an exact copy. Correct. And the original copy stays put.
2. And, I could delete the new copy without it altering or deleting the original?

adamsmith

Correct, the group and library versions are basically completely separate copies.

gaiasphere

Super appreciate your help today. Thank you.