Zotero: A Beginner's Guide

By default, Zotero stores new citations in "My Library." 

• My Library lists all the citations/references you have collected via Zotero
  • See the Add to Library to learn how
• Using the Folder + icon, you can create new collections (folders) within My Library.
• To add a citation to a collection
  1. Create a new collection (if they do not already exist) using Fold+ icon
  2. Select My Library
  3. In My Library select a Reference (item in middle pane)
  4. Drag and drop reference into new collection
  • Now the reference lives in My Library and the new collection (a reference can live in many collections).
  • NOTE: A reference can live in multiple collections. Follow steps 1-4 again to move a reference to another collection.

Collections (Folders)  - You may create as many collections and sub-collections as you wish.

About Deleting References:
All references are automatically deposited in "My Library" (your Master Collection).

• Warning: If you remove a reference from My Library it will be deleted from all the other folders/collections.
• Remove reference from a folder:

To remove a citation from a specific collection/folder,

1. select the folder
2. select  the citation you wish to delete
3. press the delete key on your keyboard OR right-click and select Remove from Collection
4. The citation is still in My Library.

The metadata for any item in your Zotero Library is editable.

1. Select an item (e.g.. title) in the middle panel, and the right panel displays the metadata.
2. Select any metadata field (e.g., title, author), first image below,
3. Edit, second image below.
4. Click out and the edits are saved.