Now we're ready to get the Zotero connector set up.
After installing the Zotero connector in your web browser, you'll need to connect it with your Zotero desktop application. This will allow the information you save while browsing to automatically appear in the Zotero app on your computer. You can also choose to allow the browser to save items to zotero.org if you need to work without access to the full Zotero application.
Syncing your library is useful if you work on more than one device. Let's look at an example:
You're doing research on a library computer, and you've added the Zotero connector to the browser and set it to save citations without using the desktop app. As you work, you save items by clicking the icon in the browser. Since you're not using the desktop app, all of the items you save are actually saving to the zotero.org servers.
Later, at home, you open up the Zotero application on your personal computer. How will all of the citations you added at the library get to your computer? By syncing your library.
In the Zotero preferences, the default is to automatically sync your local library with the information on the zotero.org servers. This way, when you get home and open up the Zotero app it will automatically download the new items that you saved on the other computer at the library. (You'll know this is happening because the sync icon will be spinning.)
If you choose not to automatically sync, you will have to remember to manually sync your library.