An EndNote Library has three distinct areas (panels):
Left panel
Library Overview serves as the central navigation hub in EndNote.
- All References: A complete list of every reference in your library.
- Groups: Custom folders you create to organise references by topic, assignment, or project.
- Smart Groups: Automatically updated groups based on search criteria.
- Tags: Visual labels to help categorize and filter references.
- Find Full Text: A tool to locate and attach full-text PDFs to references.
Middle panel
Reference List displays a summary of references depending on the selection in the left panel.
- If you click All References, it shows every reference.
- If you click a Group, it shows only the references in that group.
- Each reference appears in a row with key fields like author, year, title, and journal.
- You can sort, select, and double-click a reference here to view or edit it.
Right panel
Reference Details provides in-depth information about the selected reference. This panel is where you interact with individual references—view, edit, cite, or read attached documents.
- Summary: Key fields and attached files.
- Edit: Allows you to modify reference details.
- Preview: Shows how the reference will appear in your selected citation style.
- PDF Viewer: If a full-text PDF is attached, you can view it directly here.
When you have added references, you will see them displayed in the EndNote library summary screen.
Example of an EndNote Desktop library on Windows

Image: An example of an EndNote Desktop library on Windows. Copyright © Clarivate. Used under licence.
Example of an EndNote Desktop library on Mac

Image: An example of an EndNote Desktop library on Mac. Copyright © Clarivate. Used under licence.