Lean Library Workspace (formerly Sciwheel): Adding References

Instructions for Using Lean Library Workspace Extension

The Lean Library Workspace (formerly Sciwheel) browser extension allows you to easily save articles and add notes directly to your library. Follow these steps to add references to your project: 

1. Browse Scholarly Research
   • Use any scholarly research database, like PubMed, to find articles.
2. Open Lean Library Workspace Extension 
   • In your browser, click on the Lean Library Workspace (Sciwheel) extension icon.  Set Up Your Institution
3. Click the Settings icon (the fourth button from the left).
   • Choose "Lean Library Open" from the list of institutions. (Note: UNC is not listed, so this is the correct choice for you.) 
4.  Add References to Your Project 
   • Click on the Lean Library Workspace icon (the third button from the left). 
   • From the dropdown menu, select the references you want to add to your project. 
5. Choose Your Project Location 
   • Scroll down to the "Add these articles to a project" section. 
   • Select the project or folder where you'd like to save the articles. 
6. Step 6: Save the Articles 
   • Once you’ve chosen a project, click the “Add” button to save the articles to your library. 

Important Tips for Using Lean Library Workspace 

Turning the Extension On or Pausing It: You can turn the extension on or pause it by clicking the icon in the top right corner of your screen (next to the home button and the Lean Library Workspace logo). This allows you to temporarily disable the extension when you don’t need it. 

Previous Sciwheel Browser Extension: If you have the previous Sciwheel browser extension installed, it is still functional for now, but its future operation is uncertain. 
Adding Google Docs and Microsoft Word Extensions: There are no additional steps required to add the Google Docs and Microsoft Word extensions to your browser compared to the previous Lean Library Workspace branding. 

Please note: if you are a new user after May 2025, these instructions are longer updated. Please refer to instructions on using the Lean Library Workspace Extension above.

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The Lean Library Workspace (Sciwheel) browser extension allows you to quickly save articles to your library. It also allows you to add notes to articles directly to Lean Library Workspace (Sciwheel). Instructions on downloading the browser extension are available on our Create and Set Up Account page

1. Browse scholarly research database (i.e., PubMed). 
2. Click on the Lean Library Workspace (Sciwheel) browser extension icon in your browser. 
3. Select the detected references you wish to save.  
4. Choose a project to save them in and then Click “Add Item” 

1. From the "References" tab, click "Import References" at the top-left of the page and then select the appropriate option in the popup which appears.  
2. References can be added by uploading RIS, BIB, NBIB, MEDLINE and EndNote XML files.  
   • Instructions for exporting results from databases in various file types can be found at https://guides.lib.unc.edu/EndNote21/add-references#s-lg-box-32299135.

1. From the "References" tab, click "Import References" at the top-left of the page and then select the appropriate option in the popup which appears.  
2. References can also be added by inserting one of the supported unique identifiers; DOI, PMCID, PMID or ISBN. When you select multiple you can add a list of DOIs or PMCIDs, separated by spaces, comma, semicolons or |.  

You can import references from other citation mangers if switching to Lean Library Workspace (Sciwheel). Detailed instructions on importing from Endnote, Mendeley, Zotero, or Refworks can be found in Lean Library Workspace (Sciwheel)’s help materials at https://sciwheel.com/work/faq/importing-references.

1. From the "References" view, click "Import References" at the top-left of the page and then "Create reference manually" at the bottom of the popup which appears.  
2. Choose the reference type from the dropdown list and the fields shown will change accordingly.  
3. Once you've entered the reference details, click  "Add" and the reference will be created. You can then view the reference, add a full text or web link and PDF to it, or cite it with our various plugins as you would any other reference. 

1. From the "References" view, click Import References at the top-left of the page and then "Create reference manually" at the bottom of the popup which appears.  
2. Choose the reference type from the dropdown list and the fields shown will change accordingly.  
3. Once you've entered the reference details, click "Add" and the reference will be created. You can then view the reference, add a full text or web link and PDF to it, or cite it with our various plugins as you would any other reference.