EndNote Desktop: X9 & 20: Sharing a Library

There are a few ways you can share your EndNote library and collaborate with others. Please see the PDF attachment below to learn more about the different collaboration options that are available with EndNote. 

Saving a Library Basics

• EndNote automatically saves changes to your library as you work with it.
• To back up your library or save it on an external device for use on another computer, we recommend that you save a Compressed Copy.

Saving and Sharing a Library

1. Open the EndNote library that you wish to save.
2. From the menu bar, select File > Compressed Library (.enlx)...
3. The Compressed Library (.enlx) dialog box will appear.  Click on the radio button to choose the desired options. If you choose to to save your library With File Attachments, then all PDF files, with annotations, that are attached to your references will be included the saved library.  If you choose Without File Attachments, then the saved library will not include PDF files that are attached to your references.
4. Once you have selected your desired options, click Next.

   

5. The Save Compressed Library (.enlx) dialog box will appear.  Choose where you would like to save your library.  Click Save.
6. If you selected the Create & Email option, EndNote will open your default email system, create a new email and attach the compressed email file to the email.
7. This option can be used to share your library with a colleague.  The person with whom you share the library must have EndNote on their computer.

To Open a Compressed Library:

1. Open EndNote.  Select File > Open.  Click Open Library...
2. The Select a Reference Library dialog box will appear.  Locate your Compressed library and click the Open button.

Sometimes you may want to create a document that contains just a bibliography, with no citations. Here is one way to do it.

Creating a Bibliography without Citations

1. Select the Output Style in which you wish your bibliography to appear from the Styles menu in the toolbar.  The Output Style that you select determines how your references are sorted and formatted in the bibliography. 
2. Select the references that you wish to include in your bibliography. 
3. Select Edit > Copy Formatted from the menu bar OR right-click on the selected references and choose Copy Formatted from the menu that appears.
4. Open a Microsoft Word document, text editor, or email page.  Place your cursor where you want your bibliography to appear. 
5. Click on the Paste button in the Word toolbar or select Ctrl + V on your keyboard, and your bibliography will appear.

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Method 1: Import EndNote Library

1. Open the EndNote library into which you will be importing.
2. From the File menu, select Import.
3. Select Choose file to locate the EndNote library that you wish to import
4. Select EndNote Library from the Import Option drop down list.
5. Select Import.

Method 2: Copy and Paste

1. Select the references that you wish to move to another library.
2. Select Edit > Copy OR Ctrl + C on your keyboard.
3. Open the library to which you wish to add the references and select Edit > Paste OR Ctrl + V on your keyboard.

What are field codes?

Cite While You Write places field codes around and inside your formatted citations in Word, which allows EndNote to format citations continuously as you write. Removing field codes means deleting the field codes and saving the formatted citations and bibliography as text.

Why would I want to remove field codes?

Journal publishers may request that you remove field codes when submitting a manuscript. You may also want to remove field codes when sharing your Word document with a colleague who is using a different word processor or an incompatible version of Word.

To remove field codes:

1. Open a copy of your formatted Word document.
2. Click on the EndNote menu tab in the Word toolbar.
3. Click on Convert Citations and Bibliography and choose Convert to Plain Text from the drop-down menu.
4. A dialog box will appear informing you that the Convert to Plain Text command will create a new copy of your document with no field codes.  Click OK.  The new document will appear in a new unsaved document window.
5. Save the new document. 

Note: Once you have removed field codes, you cannot reformat your citations and bibliography.  Make sure you maintain your original documents with EndNote field codes.