/CrispZotLib

zotero plugin to search libraries per sru, oai, and also ixtheo (testing status/wip)

Primary LanguageTypeScriptGNU Affero General Public License v3.0AGPL-3.0

Zotero Library Search Plugin

This plugin allows you to search various library catalogs and repositories directly from Zotero using standard protocols like SRU, OAI-PMH, and IxTheo, and import the results directly into your library. It is self-contained and does not require any external script or Python installation. (See other github branch for leveraging the CrispLib python script.)

Features

  • Search multiple library catalogs using SRU, OAI-PMH, or IxTheo protocols.
  • Choose from various endpoints including national libraries and specialized repositories.
  • Import search results directly into your Zotero library.
  • Support for Zotero's dark and light themes.
  • Self-contained: No Python or external dependencies required.

Installation

  1. Download the latest release .xpi file from the Releases page.
  2. In Zotero, go to Tools → Plugins.
  3. Click the gear icon and select "Install Plugin From File...".
  4. Select the downloaded .xpi file and click "Install".
  5. Restart Zotero if prompted.

Configuration

Basic configuration options can be found in Zotero's preferences:

  1. Go to Edit → Preferences (or Zotero → Settings on macOS).
  2. Select the Advanced tab.
  3. Click the Config Editor button under "General".
  4. Search for extensions.zotero.librarysearch.
  5. You can enable/disable the plugin (extensions.zotero.librarysearch.enable) or toggle debug mode (extensions.zotero.librarysearch.debugMode).

Note: Unlike previous versions, there is no need to configure Python or script paths.

Usage

  1. Click the "Search Libraries" button in the Zotero toolbar (icon looks like a magnifying glass over books) or go to Tools → Library Search.
  2. In the "Library Search" dialog:
    • Select the Protocol (SRU, OAI-PMH, or IxTheo).
    • Select the Endpoint (e.g., dnb, loc, crossref).
    • For SRU, you can optionally select a specific Schema Format or leave it as "Endpoint Default".
    • Enter your search terms (Title, Author, ISBN/ISSN).
    • Set the Max Results you want to retrieve per page.
  3. Click "Search".
  4. A "Search Results" dialog will appear.
    • Use the checkboxes to select items.
    • Use the < Previous and Next > buttons to navigate through results if more than one page was found.
    • Click "Import Selected" to import only the checked items.
    • Click "Import All" to import all items currently displayed on the page.
    • Click "Cancel" to close the dialog without importing.

Supported Protocols and Endpoints

(This list remains the same as the protocols/endpoints themselves haven't changed, only the implementation method)

SRU (Search/Retrieve via URL) Endpoints:

  • dnb: German National Library
  • bnf: French National Library
  • zdb: Journal Database (Zeitschriftendatenbank)
  • loc: Library of Congress
  • trove: National Library of Australia
  • kb: National Library of the Netherlands
  • bibsys: Norwegian University Library (BIBSYS)

OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative) Endpoints:

  • crossref: CrossRef scholarly publishing
  • dnb: German National Library OAI
  • dnb_digital: German National Library Digital Collections
  • loc: Library of Congress OAI
  • europeana: European Digital Library
  • ddb: German Digital Library
  • harvard: Harvard Library
  • mit: MIT DSpace
  • kitopen: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
  • arxiv: ArXiv open access repository
  • doaj: Directory of Open Access Journals

IxTheo (Index Theologicus) Formats:

(Searches IxTheo via HTML scraping and fetches details in the chosen format)

  • ris: RIS format export
  • marc: MARC format export
  • html: HTML detail page parsing

Troubleshooting

  • If searches fail, double-check that the selected Endpoint is appropriate for the chosen Protocol.
  • Ensure your search terms are correctly formatted for the specific endpoint (some use specific prefixes like TIT=, others use quotation marks). Refer to the endpoint's documentation if unsure.
  • Check Zotero's debug output for more detailed error messages (Help → Debug Output Logging → Enable).
  • Ensure you have a stable internet connection.

Building from Source

  1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/CrispStrobe/CrispZotLib.git
  2. Navigate into the directory: cd CrispZotLib
  3. Install dependencies: npm install
  4. Build the plugin: npm run build
  5. The built .xpi file will be in the build/ directory.

Known Issues

  • Still work in progress; not all endpoints may work perfectly with all query types or schemas.
  • IxTheo search relies on HTML scraping and specific export URLs, which might break if the IxTheo website changes significantly.
  • Very large result sets (especially with OAI-PMH over wide date ranges) might be slow or incomplete due to repository limitations.
  • Error handling for specific endpoint issues could be improved.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

  • Using Zotero Plugin Template
  • Zotero Plugin Toolkit developers.