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Mendeley Reference Management: Transitioning to *NEW* Mendeley Reference Manager

Learn how to use the citation management tool Mendeley to organize resources, format bibliographies & citations, and more.

Mendeley Desktop vs Mendeley Reference Manager

Mendeley Desktop app (which has been what past/current users of Mendeley have installed on their computer) is being replaced by Mendeley Reference Manager, a new, streamlined, version of Mendeley that better integrates its various parts (desktop citation manager, web citation manager, browser import button, Microsoft Word tool, etc). 

As of September 1, 2022, Mendeley Desktop app will no longer be available to new users or for new downloads. For the immediate future, current users of Mendeley Desktop will continue to have the ability to "sign into, use, and sync your Mendeley Desktop." However, "Longer-term....Mendeley will begin the process of stopping all sign-ins to Mendeley Desktop."

At the moment, current Mendeley Desktop users have three options:

1. Wait until Mendeley announces the end of all access to Mendeley Desktop. 

While you have time before a transition will need to happen, Sarah Lawrence Library does recommend that you begin the necessary steps earlier, leaving time to solve any technical issues and adjust to the new app.

2. Transition to Mendeley Reference Manager

See below for instructions. You can use both Mendeley Desktop and Mendeley Reference Manager on the same computer. 

3. Transition to Zotero Reference Manager

See below for instructions

Transition to Mendeley Reference Manager

Step 1: Sync your library in Mendeley Desktop

This will ensure that all the data within Mendeley Desktop is also backed up to your Mendeley account, and accessible online.

Step 2: Download and Install Mendeley Reference Manager

Follow your system prompts to complete the installation process.

Step 3: Open the new reference manager, and sign in using your existing Mendeley credentials

You will see the same data in the new Mendeley Reference Manager as you had in Mendeley Desktop. 

Transition to Zotero

Zotero is another reference management software that works similarly to Mendeley. 

1. Set up a Zotero account according to the instructions on the Zotero research guide: https://sarahlawrence.libguides.com/zotero 

2. Sync your Mendeley library (as in Step 1 to the left)

3. Open Zotero and follow the steps below