The button in the upper right-hand corner of the information tab (the right column) uses a technology called OpenURL to try to find a Zotero item in your local library (either in its physical collection or in one of the full-text databases it subscribes to). The link from citation to resource resolves differently for different users: using OpenURL, a scholar affiliated with George Mason University, for example, clicks through to a copy of the resource available through her institution; a scholar affiliated with University of Michigan clicks through to a copy available through his.

You can configure Zotero to find full-text resources through your local institution by clicking the gear icon above the left pane of your Zotero window, selecting “Preferences,” and manually substituting your library’s link resolver for the default George Mason resolver under “OpenURL.”

Although CHNM will eventually offer a startup wizard that will help you find your local OpenURL server, you can also check to see if Zotero can locate other (non-GMU) OpenURL servers by opening the “Preferences” panel and clicking on “Search for resolvers.” If an entry other than “Custom” appears, Zotero has found another possible OpenURL server (i.e., your computer lies within a range of IP addresses that are able to use another institution’s OpenURL server). The following is a list of OpenURL resolvers we are aware of. If you would like us to add your resolver to the list please email campus-reps@zotero.org.