Syncing items between My Library and Groups Library

Thomas_W
I've some questions or hints to copying/moving items between My Library and Groups Library:

+ If I copy an item from My Library to a Groups Library all attachments and links are lost. I'd prefer an option if I like to include the attachments or not to include it.

+ If I copy an item cross linked references to an other item in my library I'd prefer to be ask to copy the cross linked item too.

+ Zotero fails to copy some items. There seems to be no describable pattern on the failure. On times I couldn't copy a conference paper an other time I couldn't copy a letter.

Thomas
«1
  • migugg
    I have some questions and a feature request regarding the general behaviour of my library vs. groups:

    If I understand the current behaviour correctly, then at the moment it is as follows:

    -I can save an item either in my library or in a group library. I can also copy the item from one to the other. If I copy from my library to a group, then I lose attachments as well as "related" links. But, as Dan Stillmann has indicated, zotero keeps some kind of backround relation of the two items.

    -Since I usually use both, attachments and related-links, I currently import items into my library, then copy from there to group. However, since we just started a group project, this leads to the problem that my collaborators add notes in the group library. This results in having to work with each item in two different libraries: In the group library, if I want to read/edit notes, and in my library if I want to follow related links or open an attachment.
    If I would want to work only in my library, I would have to constantly look for new notes and copy those to my library, which is annoying and almost impossible.

    I think, and this is my feature request, it would be much more convenient, if I could specify a collection in my library and this collection would sync to a specified group. This could be made easily, by simply mirroring and syncing the group folder in my library.
  • dstillman
    I think, and this is my feature request, it would be much more convenient, if I could specify a collection in my library and this collection would sync to a specified group. This could be made easily, by simply mirroring and syncing the group folder in my library.
    This sort of functionality is planned and is one of the primary reasons for the links kept between local and group items.
  • migugg
    Brilliant! looking forward to this feature!
  • dgu
    I'm also looking forward to be able to sync between group and personal library-items.
    I guess this is a very important feature for collaborating in and between groups.

    Thx for your great work to all developers!
  • thinkdata
    great idea...
    In the Use Case sense, I expected to be able to make symbolic links between either collections or entries from my personal library to have them "copied" to the group. This provides a degree of granularity in security (I only expose those I want to) and is more efficient in terms of storage.
    doug
  • lacaputo
    Is there any progress on this idea? I think it would be great!
  • anderslovlie
    Bump! I just started using group libraries to build a shared bibliography with colleagues - and this problem immediately came up. Very much looking forward to this feature!

    Keep up the good work devs!
  • clousley
    Please add this feature. I am part of a new research network, plus co-writing a paper and suggested we try the zotero groups function. But it just doesn't seem very practical for the exact reasons described above. I want to be able to share some of the sub-collections that I already have in My Library with my collaborator. And for them to be augmented with his notes, etc. with it all still in one searchable library. The group library function as it currently exists may be useful for teaching--as the example shows--but I just can't see it for research collaboration.
  • NeuroDiverse
    Ditto
  • doyledh
    I too am interested in collaborating, in this case with a student research assistant I'm lucky enough to have for just one semester.
    If I set up a private Group Library and the RA becomes a member, is there a way to move or copy files from My Library to this Group Library?
    I see similar questions above, but I don't see any solutions.
  • kwesi1000
    hello guys.
    can any of you please show me how i can copy my personal library into my group library. i am not an IT savy guy so a very simple step by step guide will be greatly appreciated
    thanks
  • ajlyon
    Collections cannot be dragged, so you'll have to make corresponding collections in the group library. Then select all in each collection in your personal library and simply drag them into the corresponding collection in the group library.
  • sppt
    I tried all of the steps for creating group, adding members, creating a collection, and none of this has worked. I have tried starting a brand new group but now I can't get rid of my old one in my group libraries pane and can't load the new one. Zotero had such promise, but it just seems like a time drain now. I just want to use it to share collections with my colleagues and none of this is working. Any suggestions??
  • ajlyon
    I'm sorry that you're frustrated, but we need more concrete descriptions of what you've tried and what isn't working as expected if we're to help you out.

    Can you start a new thread with a description of what you're trying to do, what is happening, and what should be happening? We'll see what's going and get your sorted out.

    This thread is a pretty mixed up pile of questions to begin with, but your issue is pretty much a separate one.
  • Vladseres
    Hello Everyone,

    I'm new in all this so I'll try to be as specific as I can to explain my problem. I've just created a group and added my personal library to the group.

    When I entered the library in the group I realized that the references where not sorted in alphabetical nor chronological order.

    My question is: How can I sort my group library in an specific order like alphabetically or chronologically?

    Thank you very much for your help.
  • clachapelle
    So, is it possible yet to sync shared items between personal and group libraries, including (especially!) notes?
  • Frederic Schneider
    I just wanted to know, is syncing between private and group libraries still on the agenda? This would be a huge contribution to group productivity. In the standalone beta it is already possible to drag folders to group libraries and when I installed it, it copied the files I had moved to a group folder back to my library (at "unfiled items"), so it seems that work is being done in this direction. Just being able to specify a private folder to be a group folder so that you don't have to manually move around stuff between two folders/libraries would really be great.

    Zotero is such a great research tool, thank you!
  • jgould
    I would also like to know if the private/group library syncing feature has been developed. This would be an extremely useful feature!
  • mronkko
    It has not been developed. As far as I know, it is on the agenda, but will not be implemented in the next version (3.0).

    I agree that this can be useful, but it raises complicated synchronization issues.
  • Heckscher
    edited November 11, 2011
    I am newly aware of this problem and find it really important. Collaboration is very difficult when group libraries and My Library overlap -- with items in both, or in multiple collections, etc. I can't search across My Library and Group folders, I can't use the Control trick to find out which folder an item is in, etc. (To search for an item that's in a Group collection, or to find what collection it's in in a Group, I have to first select the particular Group it's in.) It would be much (much! much!!) better if I could just pick a collection from My Library and share it. Is there some reason that is infeasible?
  • vindarmagnus
    Zotero is an awesome service, our division loves it! Currently my team shares the same login, put it would be prefferable to use this group sync thing. Therefore, Bump!
  • mronkko
    vindarmagnus: You can already have one group library for the entire division and access that with individual accounts. I do not see how your post is related to this thread.
  • vindarmagnus
    Yes that works, but we don't like to have two copies of each file, and having to sync these manually between my library and group library. that's why we just use the same account and always see everything.
  • timtak
    I was thinking of using groups just to share stuff with others unknown. In that the problem is that I do not have permission to redistribute other people's papers. Few academics would mind but there are journals to worry about.

    IF I drag a bibliographic link to a group collection it seems that I have to
    1) Make sure that it does not contain a paper-as-a-file or
    2) Remove the paper prior to adding it.
    3) Delete the attachment afterwards

    Removing file, and deleting it afterwards would be okay, but as earlier in this thread, it would be nice to be able to select what is dragable / group addable.
  • timtak
    Sorry, I realise that Zotero already has the ability to prevent copyright infringement by allowing me to select what is dragable/group-addable.
    In Zotero Preferences, General tab, at the bottom
    "
    Groups
    When copying items between libraries, include:
    child notes
    child snapshots and imported files
    child links
    "
    I have un-checked the middle one so I guess I can save everything to groups now, without fear of copyright infringement and it wont take up much space either.
  • spartner
    I have a question that may be linked this thread (I hope it is!). I am planning to start a group and I would like all members to be able to add material to the group's library. However, I do NOT want all members to be able to delete material, since there is the potential for some malicious or incompetent member to do major damage to the library. That doesn't seem to be an option in the group settings (group members can either add AND delete, or neither). So it occurred to me that the best fix for this would be if each group member could add their records to a folder in their personal library, and that the group library could display those folders - in other words, the group library could synch with lots of personal libraries. I am pretty much a newbie, but does anyone have any comments or suggestions about this? Thanks!
  • mronkko
    spartner: It does not work that way. The group libraries and personal libraries are separate entities. Group libraries have trash-feature, so accidentally permanently deleting something is not likely. Also, if this happens, you can always use your the backups of your computer to restore the items.
  • tacombs
    Bump on. I'm trying to pass a project on to a teammate, but can't get all my notes from my personal library into our group library! Man I'd love some sync.
  • Hussongl
    Bump. This really needs to be created. How has it not already? It should be so simple to move something from my personal library into a group library, and yet I have to manually copy and paste each section between two windows? Not cool. That sounds like busy work, not important work.
  • adamsmith
    Just to be clear - you can just drag over collections between personal libraries and groups. There are no two windows involved and no copy&paste.

    What's not possible is to set up an automated sync between group and personal libraries - neither for all items, nor for specific collections. The reason this isn't implemented yet is that this is complex not just on a programming level, but also a conceptual one (how to deal with conflict, how to specify those collections GUI wise etc.). There are lots of Zotero features that would be great to have and limited resources to implement them.
Sign In or Register to comment.