Upgrade StorageTransferring a collection from my standalone Zotero library to someone else's Zotero account
I'm sorry if this topic has been covered before, but I've been searching through the forums for a while and I haven't found a clear answer to my question.
I have built a small zotero database for a professor I am working with. It has about 100 entries and many, many attachments. I did this on the standalone version of zotero, using stored copies of files (mostly pdfs) for the attachments.
Now it's time to deliver this library to my professor, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to transfer these citations and attachments.
I can't seem to sync my standalone with her online account as it would delete her files that don't match mine. I can't seem to import a batch of files from my computer to her zotero account through the browser. And forgive me if I sound like a total newbie, but I can't even attach a pdf to a newly created entry made on the browser.
Do I literally need to be sitting in her office, at her computer, re-entering all of these by hand?
So my question is: is there any way at all to give this library to my professor?
I have built a small zotero database for a professor I am working with. It has about 100 entries and many, many attachments. I did this on the standalone version of zotero, using stored copies of files (mostly pdfs) for the attachments.
Now it's time to deliver this library to my professor, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to transfer these citations and attachments.
I can't seem to sync my standalone with her online account as it would delete her files that don't match mine. I can't seem to import a batch of files from my computer to her zotero account through the browser. And forgive me if I sound like a total newbie, but I can't even attach a pdf to a newly created entry made on the browser.
Do I literally need to be sitting in her office, at her computer, re-entering all of these by hand?
So my question is: is there any way at all to give this library to my professor?
1) Export the data using Zotero RDF format with files and import these into the professor's computer
2) Create a group library and invite your professor to participate in that. Then just drag and drop the collection there and synchronize
The essence of this collection isn't really the bibliographic entries, which are easy enough to share, but rather the attachments. This is basically a list of maps that I have found, scanned, and documented, and then attached to each entry. As a group library viewed online by an administrative member, those attachments for whatever reason appear as blank jpegs, or not at all. This probably has something to do with the fact that I have not purchased any extra memory on the server.
I figured as this collection is really my professor's property, she should have the collection (and support the server space for it). Only I cannot seem to find a way to transport it to her. Exporting it as a RDF file does not maintain the attachments. If I log-on in her name, the program threatens to reformat her collection to match mine.
We do share a drop box account, so if there is a file format I can export to that maintains all of the attachments, I could use that and place it in dropbox and let her import it the next time she opens Zotero. Only, I can't seem to figure out what format that would be ...
Thanks again for any help with this.
Yes, I've checked the box for both files and notes when I export my library into a Zotero RDF file. I've never been able to see the process through though as I always get an error message that says there's something wrong with Javascript.
Plus, I've read that if one is trying to transfer a large library with lots of attachments, then exporting it as an RDF file isn't ideal.
Is there a way to just save the root files in a shared place and let my professor upload them?
http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs
If you just get a busy script message, keep pressing continue:
when we say "transfer" we mean take a library and move it to another computer that doesn't have any Zotero information on it. It doesn't cover a case where you want to _add_ the contents of a library to an already existing one.
For what you want to do, using Zotero RDF is almost certainly the best way to go (groups would also work, but as you note require sufficient online storage with Zotero). you can create a virtual folder will all file contents of the Zotero storage folder. Importing those will obviously lose all citation information associated with the items. The technical details of how to set up a virtual folder on your respective OS are usually not very complicated and some simple googling will get you there, but they're beyond the scope of this forum.
When I try to export (with the files and notes boxes checked) I get this message: "! [JavaScript Application] An error occurred while trying to export the selected file."
When I generate an error report, this is what I get:
[JavaScript Error: "The file 'Kirilov 1731 Astrakhan.jpg' would exceed your Zotero File Storage quota" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 666}]
[JavaScript Error: "this._itemsLeft.shift is not a function" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/translation/translate_item.js" line: 799}]
[JavaScript Error: "this._itemsLeft.shift is not a function" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/translation/translate_item.js" line: 799}]
[JavaScript Error: "this._itemsLeft.shift is not a function" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/translation/translate_item.js" line: 799}]
Under Chrome Extensions, the message there indicates no errors have been recorded.
Could you describe to us exactly how you are exporting the items? I.e. what do you select right before exporting the items and how do you begin the export? A screenshot of your library right before you begin the export may be helpful (you'd have to post it on an image hosting website like imgur.com, imageshack.us or any file hosting website and provide us with a link)
I cannot reproduce this behavior, and I don't see exactly how the errors you reported are possible, so I think there might be something special about how you're exporting that I am not considering.
It looks like I have Zotero version 3.0.8.1
I have tried closing every program and then restarting my computer. Having only opened Zotero and no other program at that point, I still get the following error:
"[JavaScript Error: "The file 'Kirilov 1731 Astrakhan.jpg' would exceed your Zotero File Storage quota" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/sync.js" line: 666}]
[JavaScript Error: "this._itemsLeft.shift is not a function" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/translation/translate_item.js" line: 799}]
[JavaScript Error: "this._itemsLeft.shift is not a function" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/translation/translate_item.js" line: 799}]"
I'm working on a new MacBook Pro.
Beyond the immediate problem of transferring this library to my professor, I'm wondering if not being able to export libraries as Zotero RDFs is going to affect me in the future. I hope we can figure this out.
Thanks, again, for all the help.
If the first one fails, maybe try two or three more.
It looks like that worked! I am using a mac, so I selected a single entry (with several attached jpegs) and alt+click to reveal "export selected item". I exported it as an RDF with no problem.
So, I just selected all the entries in this collection and went through the same procedure. I did have some error messages about "unresponsive scripts" but I clicked "continue" (instead of stopping the script) and after a while the exportable file was created on my desktop.
Yeah!
Do you think this maybe has something to do with the fact that my zotero files seem to be stored in Firefox folders, but I only ever use the standalone version plus chrome?
I'd suggest you do this for all collections individually, unless there are too many. My guess would be that the error will re-occur for one collection - in that collection, try to isolate the relevant item and maybe that will help us understand what's going wrong.
Or did that one collection hold the entire contents of your library? yes, that's normal. If you're interested, there is some detail on this here: http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/unresponsive_script_warning
but clicking continue is really all you need to know.
Right clicking and exporting selected items looks like it will work for me now. If you think it's important, I'll go back through and see if I can't find the more problematic entries, but for now I'm happy to have something to send to my professor.
Thanks everyone!
- Export Library (either via gear menu or via file menu in Standalone) produces the error.
- Selecting all items in your library and then exporting works fine.
Is that right?
If you could do one more thing - whenever you get a chance: Right click on the collection and select "export collection" and see if that works.
There is no need to go through items individually, but thanks for the offer!
Selecting "Export Library" either via the gear menu or via file does not work. However, this is certainly a collection, within a larger group library, which I do not own or administer. I only own and administer the collection.
Right clicking on the collection and then selecting "export collection" results in the rapid export (no error messages, no stopped scripts) of the entire collection to my desktop, attachments and all.
So, I guess I was just doing it wrong.
Chalk another one up to user error.
But I'm glad we have this working for you now.
Has this been fixed? I thought I saw a commit addressing this issue, but I can't find it right now. Perhaps I'm imagining.
Save the issues experienced here, it looks like I'll be able to add my library to her Zotero library by either exporting/importing the references and documents or creating a group (but, not transferring the library as that would erase all her existing references in Zotero).
I have one remaining question - I'm on a PC and she's on a Mac. Will there be any issues with using different operating systems?
@aurimasv - I definitely never fixed this