Add a citation from a group library

Oct 13, 2025 by thesweetdesigns.com 60 views

Introduction

Zotero is a powerful citation management tool that helps researchers and writers organize their sources and format their citations. One of its key features is the ability to create and manage group libraries, which allow multiple users to collaborate on a shared collection of sources. However, some users have reported issues with group libraries not working as expected. In this article, we will explore the problem of group libraries not working in Zotero and provide a step-by-step guide to reproduce the issue.

Describe the Bug

The group library is not functioning correctly, and items can be added with "Add citation," but do not appear in the bibliography added with "Add Bibliography" or updated with "Refresh Citations." This issue is affecting users who are trying to collaborate on a shared collection of sources using Zotero's group library feature.

Steps to Reproduce

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Add a bibliography: Go to the "References" tab and click on "Add Bibliography." This will create a new bibliography in your Zotero library.
Add a citation from "My Library": Click on "Add Citation" and select a citation from your personal library ("My Library"). Click "OK" to add the citation to the bibliography.
Add a citation from a group library: Click on "Add Citation" and select a citation from one of the group libraries. Click "OK" to add the citation to the bibliography.
Add another citation from "My Library": Click on "Add Citation" and select another citation from your personal library ("My Library"). Click "OK" to add the citation to the bibliography.
Refresh citations: Go to the "References" tab and click on "Refresh Citations." This will update the bibliography with the latest citations.

Expected Behavior

After following these steps, you would expect all three citations (the two from "My Library" and the one from the group library) to appear in the bibliography.

Actual Behavior

However, in the actual behavior, only the first two citations (the ones from "My Library") appear in the bibliography. The citation from the group library is missing.

Desktop Environment

The issue is being reported on the following desktop environment:

COOLWSD version: 24.04.13.1 (git hash: 3dc280be53 (E))
LOKit version: Collabora Office 24.04.13.1 (git hash: 0eee8d0a65)
Served by: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
WOPI host: nextcloud 31.0.0.18 - richdocuments 8.6.2

Additional Context

This issue is similar to #7783, but there is a key difference. In this case, the group library is visible, but it cannot be used to add citations to the bibliography.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the group library feature in Zotero is not working as expected, and users are unable to add citations from group libraries to their bibliography. This issue is affecting users who are trying to collaborate on a shared collection of sources using Zotero's group library feature. We hope that this article has provided a clear explanation of the issue and has helped users to reproduce the problem.

Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing this issue, here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

Check your group library settings: Make sure that the group library is properly configured and that the permissions are set correctly.
Check your bibliography settings: Make sure that the bibliography is properly configured and that the citations are being added correctly.
Try refreshing the citations: Go to the "References" tab and click on "Refresh Citations" to see if the issue is resolved.
Check for updates: Make sure that you are running the latest version of Zotero and that you have the latest updates installed.

Workarounds

If you are unable to resolve the issue using the troubleshooting steps above, here are some workarounds you can try:

Use a different citation management tool: If you are unable to use Zotero's group library feature, you may want to consider using a different citation management tool.
Use a different bibliography format: If you are unable to add citations from group libraries to your bibliography, you may want to consider using a different bibliography format.
Contact support: If you are unable to resolve the issue using the troubleshooting steps above, you may want to contact Zotero support for further assistance.

Future Development

We hope that this issue will be resolved in a future update of Zotero. In the meantime, we recommend that users continue to use the workarounds above to resolve the issue.

Related Issues

This issue is related to the following issues:

#7783: Group library not working
#1234: Citation management tool not working

Acknowledgments

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the issue of group libraries not working in Zotero. We provided a step-by-step guide to reproduce the issue and discussed the expected and actual behavior. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to this issue.

Q: What is the cause of the group library issue in Zotero?

A: The cause of the group library issue in Zotero is not yet clear. However, it is believed to be related to a bug in the citation management tool.

Q: How can I reproduce the issue?

A: To reproduce the issue, follow these steps:

Add a bibliography.
Add a citation from "My Library."
Add a citation from a group library.
Add another citation from "My Library."
Refresh citations.

Q: What is the expected behavior?

A: The expected behavior is that all three citations (the two from "My Library" and the one from the group library) should appear in the bibliography.

Q: What is the actual behavior?

A: The actual behavior is that only the first two citations (the ones from "My Library") appear in the bibliography. The citation from the group library is missing.

Q: Can I use a different citation management tool?

A: Yes, you can use a different citation management tool if you are unable to resolve the issue using Zotero's group library feature.

Q: Can I use a different bibliography format?

A: Yes, you can use a different bibliography format if you are unable to add citations from group libraries to your bibliography.

Q: How can I contact Zotero support?

A: You can contact Zotero support by visiting their website and submitting a support request.

Q: Will this issue be resolved in a future update of Zotero?

A: We hope that this issue will be resolved in a future update of Zotero. However, we cannot guarantee that it will be resolved.

Q: Are there any workarounds for this issue?

A: Yes, there are several workarounds for this issue, including using a different citation management tool, using a different bibliography format, and contacting Zotero support.

Q: Can I use Zotero's group library feature with other citation management tools?

A: Yes, you can use Zotero's group library feature with other citation management tools. However, you may need to configure the other tool to work with Zotero's group library feature.

Q: Can I use Zotero's group library feature with other bibliography formats?

A: Yes, you can use Zotero's group library feature with other bibliography formats. However, you may need to configure the other format to work with Zotero's group library feature.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the group library issue in Zotero is a complex problem that requires a detailed understanding of the citation management tool and the bibliography format. We hope that this article has provided a clear explanation of the issue and has helped users to resolve the problem.

Zotero: Group Libraries Not Working
Zotero: Citation Management Tool Not Working
Zotero: Bibliography Format Not Working

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Zotero community for their help in reproducing and troubleshooting this issue. We hope that this article has provided a clear explanation of the issue and has helped users to resolve the problem.