Helpful Tools for Adding ISBNs

If you often want to add books by ISBN you may want to use an ISBN scanner. You can either use a barcode scanner or an app on your smartphone.

hmtoggle_plus1 Adding ISBN Numbers with a Scanner

You can use two different types of barcode scanners with Citavi:

  • Bar code scanners without internal memory, which connect directly to your computer and scan in real time. These scanners don't need drivers. Just plug one in and proceed as described in Adding a Book by ISBN Number.
  • Scanners with internal memory, such as the OPN-2001
    Opticon OPN2001
    These scanners let you scan bar codes independently of a computer. When you get back to your computer, Citavi reads the contents of the scanner all at once. These scanners must have drivers installed and only models explicitly supported by Citavi can be used (Symbol-Motorola CS1504, Opticon OPN-2001, Scanndy, or SmartScanndy).

Importing a List of ISBN Numbers from a Bar Code Scanner with Internal Memory:

  1. Scan the ISBN numbers with your bar code scanner. The numbers are stored in the scanner.
  2. Connect the scanner to your computer.
  3. On the References menu, select Retrieve by ISBN or other identifier, or click Retrieve by ISBN in the toolbar.
  4. Select Bar code scanner memory.
  5. Click Read scanner memory and select your scanner.  If no scanner is configured, the Options menu will open so that you can select the correct model.
  6. Citavi searches the selected catalogs for the ISBN numbers in the scanner.
  7. Click Add to project to add all the references found to the current project.

Information on current scanner drivers can be found in our FAQs.

hmtoggle_plus1 Adding ISBN Numbers with a Smartphone 

In your app store you can find free applications that allow you to scan barcodes. You can use these apps to take a photograph of the ISBN barcode. The program then converts the barcode into the ISBN number.

  1. Send the scanned ISBN number to yourself as a text file or by e-mail, or save it in an online note-taking tool.
  2. Switch to the computer where you use Citavi.
  3. Open the list of scanned ISBN numbers and copy the contents to the Clipboard.
  4. Open the desired Citavi project.
  5. Click Retrieve by ISBN and select Text from Clipboard.
  6. Click Paste from Clipboard.
  7. After Citavi has finished searching for the bibliographic information, click Add to project.