Libraries

Beaver fully supports both your personal Zotero library and group libraries (since version 0.5). Your libraries are not synced to Beaver's servers. Instead, Beaver accesses your Zotero data and file content on demand when Beaver determines it is relevant to the current conversation. File processing happens locally on your device, and only provides relevant results to Beaver.

Restricting Search to Specific Libraries

You can focus Beaver on a specific library in several ways:

  • Use the @ menu: Type @ in the chat input and select a library under "Filter Search by" to add it as a filter. See Filtering Search for details.
  • Ask in natural language: Simply mention the library in your message, e.g., "Search only in my Lab Group library."
  • Reference the current library: Beaver is aware of the library currently open in Zotero, so you can say things like "Organize the items in this library into collections."

Library Restrictions Are Not Deterministic

Because Beaver uses AI to interpret your instructions, library restrictions are best-effort. The AI generally follows them well, but may occasionally access items from other libraries, especially if results are limited. If you need to exclude specific libraries for privacy, copyright, or other reasons, keep in mind that the Free plan does not currently offer a hard restriction. We plan to add a global setting to exclude specific libraries in a future update. Please email us if you require this feature and we will prioritize it.

Legacy Beta Plan

On the Legacy Beta plan, you explicitly select which libraries Beaver can work with during the initial setup or in Beaver's settings. Beaver can only access these selected libraries. No other libraries are visible or searchable by Beaver.

The selected libraries are synced to Beaver's cloud servers for full-text search and cloud-based file processing.

Selecting Libraries

1

Open Beaver settings

Click the gear icon in Beaver's sidebar to open settings.

2

Go to library selection

Find the library selection section under your account settings.

3

Choose your libraries

Select your personal library and/or any group libraries you want Beaver to access. Only selected libraries will be synced and searchable.

Syncing Requirement

For group library support on the Pro plan, make sure Coordinate with Zotero Sync is enabled in Beaver's settings. This ensures your group library data stays consistent. See Getting Started for details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Beaver with group libraries I don't own?

Yes. Beaver can work with any group library that appears in your Zotero installation, whether you own it or are just a member. On the Pro plan, you need to explicitly select it during setup.

What happens if a group library is updated by other members?

On the Free plan, Beaver reads your local Zotero data, so changes appear as soon as Zotero syncs them locally. On the Pro plan, Beaver re-syncs when Zotero completes a sync (if "Coordinate with Zotero Sync" is enabled), picking up changes from other group members.

Can I exclude certain libraries from Beaver entirely?

On the Beta/Pro plan, simply don't select them. Beaver won't have access. On the Free plan, there is no hard exclusion mechanism yet, but you can use filters or natural language to restrict searches. A global exclusion setting for the Free plan is planned for a future release.