# zotero

> Search and access your local Zotero library database for papers, books, and research references. Query by title, author, tags, or full-text search.

- Author: burman-work
- Repository: burman-work/cb-moltbot
- Version: 20260127213047
- Stars: 0
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-06
- Source: https://github.com/burman-work/cb-moltbot
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@burman-work/cb-moltbot~zotero:20260127213047

---

---
name: zotero
description: Search and access your local Zotero library database for papers, books, and research references. Query by title, author, tags, or full-text search.
user-invocable: true
metadata: {"moltbot":{"emoji":"📚","requires":{"bins":["python3"]}}}
---

# Zotero Library Search

Search your local Zotero research library database for papers, books, articles, and other references.

## Setup

This skill reads your Zotero database directly from your configured location. 

Set the `ZOTERO_DATA_DIR` environment variable to point to your Zotero data directory:

```bash
export ZOTERO_DATA_DIR="/Users/christopherburman/Studio Burman Dropbox/Christopher Burman/__________ZOTERO_LIBRARY/Zotero"
```

Or configure it in `~/.clawdbot/moltbot.json`:

```json
{
  "skills": {
    "entries": {
      "zotero": {
        "enabled": true,
        "env": {
          "ZOTERO_DATA_DIR": "/Users/christopherburman/Studio Burman Dropbox/Christopher Burman/__________ZOTERO_LIBRARY/Zotero"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Quick Start

Search your Zotero library:

```bash
# Search by title, author, or keyword
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "machine learning"

# Search with more results
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "climate change" --limit 20

# Search by specific field
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "Chomsky" --field author

# Get item details by ID
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --item-id 12345

# Search tags
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "deep-learning" --field tag

# Output as JSON
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "neural networks" --format json
```

## Search Fields

- `title` - Search in item titles (default)
- `author` - Search by author/creator name
- `tag` - Search by tags
- `all` - Search across title, author, abstract, and tags
- `year` - Filter by publication year

## Output

Returns a list of matching items with:
- Title
- Authors
- Publication year
- Item type (book, article, etc.)
- Tags
- Zotero key (for getting full details)

## Examples

**Find recent papers on a topic:**
```bash
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "transformer architecture" --limit 5
```

**Find all works by an author:**
```bash
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --query "Hinton" --field author
```

**Get details for a specific item:**
```bash
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/zotero_search.py --item-id 12345
```

## Notes

- The database is at `$ZOTERO_DATA_DIR/zotero.sqlite`
- Read-only queries - this skill never modifies your library
- PDF full-text search requires Zotero's index (future enhancement)
- For web API access, use your existing zotero-mcp setup with Claude Desktop