Changes for library-wide usage with 5.0

mpgreen
Hello
I'm the Zotero expert and Instructional Services Librarian at my library. We currently use Zotero as our main/recommended citation manager. To that end, we have it installed our university-owned computers, but we use the Firefox-embedded version. With the changes in 5.0, I am uncertain whether to keep using this version or try to convince the powers that be to install the standalone so we can use 5.0 properly. The computers are set to automatically wipe anything installed, on a nightly basis.

Are any other librarians on here? Or anyone whose workplace uses Zotero system-wide? I'm looking for thoughts or suggestions on how this will (positively!) affect university usage. Thank you! I'm excited about 5.0!
  • adamsmith
    Not a librarian, but just to clarify that using the Firefox-embedded version is just not an option going forward. It will stop working some time this year (probably mid-November) as Firefox disables the extension framework it relies on. In case you haven't seen it, this post has more background: https://www.zotero.org/blog/a-unified-zotero-experience/
  • zuphilip
    We have also Zotero installed on our computers in the library along with a lot of other software. There is a similar cleaning mechanism for making sure that the next user will not see confidential information from the previous user. Actually, I just asked today the admin people to please install Zotero 5.0 together with a connector in the next update round. Installed software should then stay on these computers, but just the data should be cleaned every time.
  • RintzeRintze
    using the Firefox-embedded version is just not an option going forward. It will stop working some time this year (probably mid-November) as Firefox disables the extension framework it relies on.
    Users of the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) 52 can keep Zotero for Firefox for a while longer, though.

    @adamsmith is right that XUL-support, which is necessary to run Zotero for Firefox, will be dropped in Firefox 57, which is slated for release in mid-November 2017 (see https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Roadmap and https://wiki.mozilla.org/RapidRelease/Calendar). But Firefox ESR 52 will be supported until May 2018 (see https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/faq/ and https://wiki.mozilla.org/RapidRelease/Calendar).
  • dstillman
    Users of the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) 52 can keep Zotero for Firefox for a while longer, though.
    Yes, with the caveat that we'll likely turn off 4.0 syncing later this year (depending on how quickly people upgrade to 5.0).
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