Too Good to Be True?: Implementing the Open-Source Program Zotero at a University Library

Presented at the American Library Association 2010 Annual Conference

With the release of the 2.0 Beta, Zotero has taken powerful personal bibliographic management software to the next level, making the open-source program a legitimate alternative to for-profit products such as RefWorks and EndNote. It utilizes a simple iTunes™–like interface within the Firefox web browser that gives users the ability to easily download and manipulate bibliographic information with a single click from most popular websites and databases. For more advanced users, Zotero has the potential to be a powerful information management system that incorporates the best features of Web 2.0. The poster describes the process of highlighting the diverse benefits of Zotero to various stakeholders (e.g., branch and main campus faculty, students, library administration, colleagues, other local libraries) and overcoming the challenges of promoting an open-source product. This involved creation of support and promotional materials that corresponded with the new paradigm that open-source products create, as well as taking the lead in using the product to complete projects, and providing demonstrations in a variety of forums.