{"id":1958,"date":"2011-08-31T14:14:47","date_gmt":"2011-08-31T06:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sharepointboost.com\/blog\/?p=1958"},"modified":"2023-07-31T11:40:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T03:40:28","slug":"introduction-to-libraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boostsolutions.com\/blog\/introduction-to-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to Basics: Introduction to Libraries"},"content":{"rendered":"

I like sharing stuff from Microsoft SharePoint Blog<\/a>. Even the most basic of its uses never cease to shed me some light and some tips when using SharePoint. This post talks about libraries and its uses, how to maximize it, <\/em>its features and how it works with other parts of SharePoint<\/p>\n

A library is a location on a site where you can create, collect, update, and manage files with team members. Each library displays a list of files and key information about the files, which helps members use the files to work together. You can choose from a number of ready-to-use libraries and library templates that provide a good starting point for organizing your files. After you create a library, you can customize it in several ways. For example, you can control how documents are viewed, managed, and created. Or, you can track versions, including how many and which type of versions. You can even create custom views, forms, and workflows to make your projects and business processes go much smoother.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/a><\/a>Overview of libraries<\/h2>\n

Instead of your team hunting around for documents in different locations, such as personal computers, network disks, and e-mail folders, it’s much more efficient to use a SharePoint library as a central location that everyone on your team can see and use.<\/p>\n


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<\/a><\/a>What is a library?<\/h3>\n

\"A A SharePoint library is a location on a site where you can create, store, update, and collaborate on files with team members. Each type of library ? document, picture, form, wiki page, asset, report, record, data connections, and slide ? displays a list of files and key information about the files, such as who was the last person to modify the file. You can choose from several types of libraries, depending on the types of files that you want to store and how you plan to use them. Once you are done with a library, you can archive files, delete the unused library, and save server disk space.<\/p>\n

You can also customize libraries in several ways. You can control how documents are viewed, tracked, managed, and created. You can track versions, including how many and which type of versions, and you can limit who can see documents before they are approved. To streamline a business process, you can use workflows to collaborate on documents in libraries. To reduce clutter, you can specify information management policies to manage the handling and expiration of documents within libraries.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/a>How does a typical team use a library?<\/h3>\n

A marketing team at Contoso needs to work together on project and group documents. The team members need a central location where they can collaborate on documents, keep track of their calendars and meetings, manage projects, and track team tasks. This team also has a contractor living in a remote location, so there is an added benefit to using SharePoint 2010.<\/p>\n

The first step for them is to designate one member as the site owner and point person for managing their site. The site owner takes on the role of site administrator, obtains the Full Control permission for the library, and first ensures that everyone on the team has Contribute permission level to the Shared documents library on its team site. Next, the site owner renames it to “Marketing Documents” and then adds a detailed description so that all users, but especially first-time users, get a clearer idea of the purpose of the library and what content to view or add to it. The team has decided to use this library for managing press releases, budget files, contracts, proposals, and other pertinent team documents.<\/p>\n

One of the site owner’s first tasks is to locate and upload many important documents into the library to get the team focused on using the library as a central location. Then the site owner decides to do the following: set the library to require check out, so that no one accidentally overwrites changes to documents; and track versions, so the team has a history of how files have evolved and can restore a previous version if necessary. To ensure adherence to company standards, the site owner also adds standard templates for marketing reports, sales contracts, campaign plans, and budget worksheets to the library. Each template contains the company logo and mission statement. When members create a new file from the document library, they can easily select which template they want to use.<\/p>\n

Over time as team members add files and collaborate on documents, they organize the library by adding columns and creating views that show content in multiple ways that are meaningful for their work. For example, the site owner adds a “Project Name” column so members can filter or sort by that column.<\/p>\n

Other team members add public views that group by fiscal quarter, and filter for contracts that expire within six months. Each member also creates personal views to help them find information quickly and complete their work.<\/p>\n

After much discussion at a staff meeting, the team decides to set alerts at the library level to report updates once a week. Each member can decide how to set up additional alerts or RSS feeds on specific files as necessary. The team also commits to an important “best practice” in this new world of collaboration. When members want to distribute a document in a library, they resist the temptation to attach it to an email message, and send the link in e-mail instead. Inserting a document link into an e-mail message is easy to do from the library ribbon, ensures folks are getting access to the latest version, and helps unclog the local network from unnecessary bits.<\/p>\n

Occasionally team members and other users are blocked from accessing content because they don’t have appropriate permissions. Certain documents are protected because they have sensitive content, such as a contract or budget information. But because the ability to request access from a site owner is enabled, they can conveniently request access from a page, and the site owner can grant the permission as appropriate to a document.<\/p>\n

All the members of the Marketing team, but particularly the contractor, like the ability to take library contents offline, work with them from home or a remote site, and then smoothly synchronize changes when back online, all by using Microsoft Office SharePoint Workspace 2010.<\/p>\n

A critical responsibility for this Marketing team is proposing marketing campaigns to drive sales and revenue. When team members develop a new campaign plan, they track minor versions of the file. If they make a mistake in one version, they can restore a previous version. When they finish the campaign plan, they can create a major version and then publish it for approval by their legal department and their manager. When the file is approved, other employees in the company can view the file. The site owner researches the online documentation, training, and blogs, and then figures out without using code how to set up a workflow, associate it to the library, and automate the process of gathering feedback, collecting signatures, and publishing the final document.<\/p>\n

After three months of use, the Marketing library and site has become a critical component of the Marketing team and helped substantially improve their productivity and visibility throughout their enterprise. They can’t imagine working without it, and are actively exploring other ways to use SharePoint 2010 to collaborate better.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/a><\/a>Types of libraries<\/h2>\n

Some libraries are created for you when you create a new site, such as the Shared documents library in a team site. You can customize these libraries for your purposes, or you can create your own additional libraries. Each type of library has a specific purpose and some have a different set of behaviors and features.<\/p>\n

Document library<\/strong> For many file types, including documents and spreadsheets, use a document library. You can store other kinds of files in a document library, although some file types are blocked for security reasons. When you work with programs that are not blocked, you can create those files from the library. For example, your marketing team may have its own document library for planning materials, news releases, and publications.<\/p>\n

Picture library<\/strong> To share a collection of digital pictures or graphics, use a picture library. Although pictures can be stored in other types of SharePoint libraries, picture libraries have several advantages. For example, from a picture library you can view pictures in a slide show, download pictures to your computer, and edit pictures with compatible graphics programs, such as Microsoft Paint. Consider creating a picture library if you want to store pictures of team events or product launches. You can also link to pictures in your library from elsewhere on your site, such as from wikis, and blogs.<\/p>\n

Form library<\/strong> If you need to manage a group of XML-based business forms, use a form library. For example, your organization may want to use a form library for expense reports. Setting up a form library requires an XML editor or XML form design program, such as Microsoft InfoPath. The form that people fill out is just an .xml file that contains the data (and only the data) that was entered into the form, such as the expense date and the amount. Everything else that makes up the expense report is provided by the form template. After people fill out forms, you can merge the form data or export it for analysis.<\/p>\n

Wiki page library<\/strong> To create a collection of connected wiki pages, use a wiki page library. A wiki enables multiple people to gather routine information in a format that is easy to create and modify. You can also add wiki pages, that contain pictures, tables, hyperlinks, and internal links, to your library. For example, if your team creates a wiki site for a project, the site can store tips and tricks in a series of pages that connect to each other.<\/p>\n

Asset library<\/strong> To share and manage digital media assets, such as image, audio and video files, use an asset library. An asset library makes it easier for users to discover and reuse digital media files that others have already created, such as logos and corporate images. An asset library also provides content types with properties and views for managing and browsing media assets, such as thumbnails and metadata keywords. For example, you may want to manage and store branded images and reusable content fragments from applications so they are available throughout your enterprise and consistently used.<\/p>\n

Data Connections library<\/strong> To simplify the maintenance and management of data connections, use a data connection library. A data connection library (DCL) is a centralized way to store Office Data Connection (ODC) files. Each of these files (.odc) contains information about how to locate, log on, query, and access an external data source. Centralizing ODC files in a data connection library also makes it possible to share, manage, and search data connection files from within a SharePoint site, and helps ensure that business data and reports, especially spreadsheets, maintain a consistent set of values and formula results as “one version of the truth”.<\/p>\n

Slide Library<\/strong> To effectively and efficiently share presentation slides, use a Slide Library. Slide Libraries help you share, store, and manage slides from Microsoft PowerPoint, or a compatible application. When you publish a presentation to a Slide Library, the slides upload as individual files, so they can be independently modified and tracked. The Slide Library maintains a link to the presentation, so that you are notified when slides change. The library allows you to sort slides, check them out, and can help keep track of history. Slide Libraries also provide special features for finding, managing, and reusing slides.<\/p>\n

Record library<\/strong> To keep a central repository for storing and managing your organization’s records or important business documents, use a record library. For example, your organization may need to adhere to compliance regulations which require an organized process for managing pertinent documents. A Records Center site can contain a number of record libraries for storing different types of records. For each library you can set policies that determine what records to store, how to route and manage the documents, and how long these records must be retained.<\/p>\n

Report library<\/strong> To simplify the creation, management and delivery of web pages, documents and key performance indicators (KPI) of metrics and goals, use a report library. The report library is a central place where you can create and save reports, such as Excel workbooks, and dashboard pages. When you publish an Excel workbook to a reports library, it is single-click enabled to open in browser view, which is a convenient way to see the workbook without adding it to a Web Parts Page.<\/p>\n

Data Connections Library for PerformancePoint<\/strong> To simplify the maintenance and management of data connection files for PerformancePoint, use the data connection library for PerformancePoint. In this library, you can store Office Data Connection (ODC) and Universal Data connection (UDC).<\/p>\n

Dashboards library<\/strong> Contains Web Part pages, Web Part pages with Status Lists, and PerformancePoint deployed dashboards.<\/p>\n

Process Diagram Library (Metric and US Units)<\/strong> To store and share diagram process documents, such as those created with Microsoft Visio 2010, use a Process Diagram Library. The Metric and US Units libraries are tailored to their respective measurements.<\/p>\n

Note <\/strong> Depending on your site and configuration, additional system libraries, such as the style library, site assets library, and site pages library, are automatically created by SharePoint Server 2010. However, you cannot create these specific libraries through the user interface.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/a><\/a>Ways to work with libraries<\/h2>\n

Here are some ways to work with libraries and make them more useful for your group:<\/p>\n

Create views<\/strong> You can use a view<\/a> to see the items in a library that are most important to you or that best fit a purpose. The contents of the actual library don’t change, but the files are organized or filtered to make them easier to find and to browse in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Require check-out of files<\/strong> When you require check-out<\/a> of a file, you ensure that only one person can edit the file until it is checked in<\/a>. Requiring documents to be checked out prevents multiple people from making changes at the same time, which can create editing conflicts and lead to confusion. Requiring check-out can also help to remind team members to add a comment when they check a file in, so that you can more easily track what has changed in each version.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Track versions<\/strong> If you need to keep previous versions<\/a> of files, libraries can help you track, store, and restore the files. You can choose to track all versions in the same way. Or you can choose to designate some versions as major, such as adding a new chapter to a manual, and some versions as minor, such as fixing a spelling error. To help manage storage space, you can optionally choose the number of each type of version that you want to store.<\/p>\n

Require document approval<\/strong> You can specify that approval for a document is required. Documents remain in a pending state until they are approved or rejected by someone who has permission to do so. You can control which groups of users can view a document before it is approved. This feature can be helpful if your library contains important guidelines or procedures that need to be final before others see them.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Specify permission<\/strong>s<\/strong> SharePoint groups and permission levels help you to efficiently manage access to contents. By default, permissions on libraries, folders within libraries, and documents are inherited from their parent site. Assigning permission levels to a specific item can help you to protect sensitive content, such as a contract or budget information, without restricting access to the rest of the site.<\/p>\n

Stay informed about changes<\/strong> Libraries in SharePoint 2010 support RSS technology, so that members of your workgroup can automatically receive and view updates, or feeds, of news and information in a consolidated location. You can use RSS technology to alert you of any changes to a library, such as when files that are stored in the library change. RSS feeds enable members of your workgroup to see a consolidated list of files that have changed. You can also create e-mail alerts, so that you are notified when files change.<\/p>\n

Create workflows<\/strong> A document library or content type can use workflows that your organization has defined for business processes, such as managing document approval or review. Your group can apply business processes to its documents, known as workflows, which specify actions that need to be taken in a sequence, such as approving <\/a>documents. A SharePoint workflow is an automated way of moving documents or items through a sequence of actions or tasks. Three workflows are available to libraries by default: Approval, which routes a document to a group of people for approval; Collect Feedback, which routes a document to a group of people for feedback and returns the document to the person who initiated the workflow as a compilation; and Collect Signatures, which routes a document to a group of people to collect their digital signatures<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Define content types<\/strong> If your group works with several types of files, such as worksheets, presentations, and documents, you can extend the functionality of your library by enabling and defining multiple content types<\/a>. Content types add flexibility and consistency across multiple libraries. Each content type can specify a template and even workflow<\/a> processes. The templates act as a starting point, for formatting and any boilerplate text and for properties that apply to the documents of that type, such as department name or contract number.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Client integration<\/strong> Certain compatible client programs, work with SharePoint features directly from the client. For example, when you use Microsoft Word 2010, you can manage check in and check out more easily. From Microsoft Office SharePoint Workspace 2010 or Microsoft Outlook 2010, you can take library contents offline, work with them from a remote site, and then smoothly synchronize changes when you come back online.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Audit Tracking<\/strong> <\/strong>If you have a group of sensitive files, and it would be helpful to know how the documents were being used, you can define a policy that allows you to enable ‘Audit’ tracking of events, such as file changes, copies or deletion.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Set policies<\/strong> Policy settings are settings enable document expiration, automatic deletion, or periodic review (through a workflow) of documents that have reached a specified age. As libraries evolve, using these disposition settings can save time and effort trying to manually clean up hard disk space that is packed full and avoid reaching quota limits.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Use a Document Center site<\/strong> You can use a Document Center site when you want to create, manage, and store large numbers of documents. A Document Center is based on a site template and is designed to serve as a centralized repository for managing many documents. Features, such as metadata and tree view navigation, content types, and web parts, help you organize and retrieve documents in an efficient and meaningful way for your users. “Content Stewards” can quickly configure metadata-driven navigation to perform well for most libraries without explicitly creating indexes, but also get assisted when creating additional indexes to enhance the performance over a wider range of filters and views. You can use a Document Center site as an authoring environment (users actively check files in and out and create folder structures for those files) or a content archive (users only view or upload documents).<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/a>Organizing libraries on a site<\/h2>\n

The way that you organize your files in a library depends on the needs of your group and on how you prefer to store and search for your information. Some planning can help you set up the structure that works best for your group. Libraries have several features that help you work with multiple files in one library. However, multiple libraries may suit your group better.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/a>Storing documents in one library<\/h3>\n

You may want one library to serve diverse needs. For example, you might have several projects within the same group, or multiple groups working on the same project. Consider using a single library when:<\/p>\n