Transferring your library from Endnote

So you want to move reference managers? The thought of transferring over your library to a new reference manager can seem daunting, especially if you have an extensive library filled with PDFS, folders, and of course, all your notes and annotations. Luckily, ReadCube Papers makes it easy to transfer your library over from another reference manager.

In this series of blog posts, we’ll guide you through moving to ReadCube Papers from another tool so, you don’t have to start from scratch.

Today we will focus on transferring your library from EndNote.

Exporting your Metadata

If you’re coming from EndNote, we’ve made transferring seamless within the ReadCube Papers desktop app. First, if you don’t already have it installed, you’re going to want to download Papers to your computer (Mac/Windows). 

There are two parts to getting your information out of EndNote and into ReadCube Papers. We’ll start by exporting your metadata first. 

Select all the references you want to export from your library.

Next, you need to export your references’ metadata via an XML file. Head to File > Export > Save File Type as XML

Be sure to name your EndNote Library, something easy to remember and a folder you can easily access, such as your Desktop.

Grabbing those PDFs

There is no need to export your PDFs. EndNote stores all your associated files in a folder “My EndNote Library.data”

Make sure you know where this folder is located, you will need it soon.

Transfer Time

Open ReadCube Papers and head to Add > Add Files. The Import Files box will open for you to select Import From EndNote Library. Select the XML file you exported under the Browse Files.

If you want to bring over your PDFs browse for that “My EndNote Library.data” folder from before under the Select Data Directory field. Open it and then select PDF > Open.

You can choose to import all these files into a specific list or hit Import Files to transfer all the files into your general Papers library.

*Note, the EndNote Library Transfer is currently only available in the desktop app. If you are solely using the web app, you can follow the same workflow on how to transfer from another reference manager to get your EndNote library into the ReadCube Papers web app. 

What about my notes?

Fear not, when you upload any PDFs from your other reference manager, ReadCube Papers will convert them all to our own note system. You will be able to edit, add and remove any notes from the PDF.

Plus, all your notes will be visible in the left-hand panel.

*When transferring your notes over from EndNote, be sure you select the correct PDF folder, especially if you have multiple EndNote libraries.

Need more help? Schedule a training session with one of our dedicated community members who can help show you how to get your ReadCube Papers library started and more!