Different (multiple) libraries for different topics

Unfortunately I couldn't find a way to create multiple libraries with Zotero.
The goal would be to have more libraries for different topics. At this moment Zotero has My library and that's all. In contrast in real life I have a separate storage space (library) for books of my work, of our hobbies, of literature. And of course they are somehow organized again (which corresponds to collections).
Zotero's current operation of having only one library is quite annoying since collections regarding my hobbies mix with work collections. Additionally, the ability of having only one top level library is simply a waste of space. If it was a design goal, than (although I cannot understand its reasons) why was it necessary to have the ability to close this library branch? This makes no sense, if I do not need my library, I close Zotero itself.

So my feature request is simply to make it possible to have more libraries.
  • you can use groups or separate Firefox profiles for separate libraries.
    You can collapse "My Library" so you can work with groups more comfortably.
    I also don't quite see what's wrong with just keeping separate top-level collections for different fields, but that's up to you.
  • Can I use groups on my own without using zotero account and connecting to zotero server? Maybe I am mistaken, but as far as I understood, the answer is no.

    "I also don't quite see what's wrong with just keeping separate top-level collections for different fields, but that's up to you."

    If I understand you correctly, your proposal is to have under My library a collection for Work topik1, work topik2, work topik3, than hobby1, hobby2, culture, etc. And after this create subcollections if needed. Yes, it can be a workaround, a quite ugly workaround, but again, in this case My library is just cluttering the interface and is totally and absolutely useless.
    Moreover the problem of listing all elements in the library is still present, because totally different records will mix!

    So what is the goal of this My library node and why it is so painful for Zotero to have multiple libraries? Groups are not from the beginning available in Zotero, so it cannot be really the reason. What was in the mind of guys at the beginning? I'm really interested. For me libraries are really missing. Not from the beginning, but now, as my different topics have grown quite large.
  • no, you don't need to sync with Zotero to use groups.
    Groups were always part of the Zotero design plan, even if they didn't exist in 1.0.

    I did not develop Zotero, so I have no particular insights into this, but I would guess the initial decision about my Library was made in order to keep things simple. Switching between libraries creates a mess with respect to syncing, citations and probably more that I'm not thinking of.

    In any case - as I say above - you can create multiple libraries using groups, so this point is moot.
  • I found that katonag has already raised up the question i'm interested in.
    I have the same problem essentially and i would like to create several libraries for different topics. For me the main problem is that the library is associated with a certain tag cloud. And i would like to have separate tag clouds for different topics not to mix them up. Is there any way to do that?
  • edited April 17, 2013
    tag clouds are separate for each group. Also, tags only display for the selected collection, so both of my suggested solutions work for your case.
  • Thank you! Now it is clear.
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