What IS a public Zotero library?

caspar.trimmer
I'm eager to make one of my shared libraries – containing publications by my institute – accessible to all Zotero users, so they can cite us easily and correctly. I've set it to public, closed membership. But what does that actually mean?

I've searched for other users' public libraries, and then subscribed. But they don't appear in my Zotero standalone. When I try to add citations to a document from those libraries, it doesn't work. Am I missing something?
  • LiborA
    You can see detail description in the description ať https://www.zotero.org/support/groups
  • caspar.trimmer
    Thanks. Not sure I'm any the wiser, though. Maybe this would help me: if you want to create a citation from a library, do you have to be a member of that library?
  • bwiernik
    What exactly do you mean “create a citation”?
  • bwiernik
    To cite an item in Word, the item needs to be in your local Zotero database—I.e., in My Library or a Group Library you are a member of. So, yes, you generally have to be a member of a group to cite items from the group library. You can subscribe to a Group’s RSS feed, but you will still need to add the item to My Library/a group library you are a member of before citing it (and it would then be technically a different item).
  • caspar.trimmer
    Hi Bwiernik

    Thanks for the clear answer. You correctly guessed that by "create a citation" I mean citing an item in Word - as an editor, I see Zotero as a work-saver when it comes to doing references in documents, rather than as a research tool or personal library.

    So if I've subscribed to a group's RSS feed, does that mean I can import references from their library into my library (or a group library I can edit)? How do I do that? I only saw options to export or cite.
  • LiborA
    You can create open group library but the editing can be available only for the admins.
    For the open groups, you cant store the files in the library but you can store it in any other storage and use links to this documents.
  • caspar.trimmer
    Thanks. I think I'll change the settings on my public libraries, then. But importing entries from a public library I subscribe to?
  • LiborA
    You can see all group libraries (which you are a member) in the left pane of your Zotero and the items from these libraries you can use for citation in your document.
  • bwiernik
    In the group library view on the Zotero website, there is a link to Subscribe to this Feed on the left side. You can use this RSS feed link with the Zotero client’s Feeds feature to add items to your library.
  • caspar.trimmer
    Thanks!
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