Image libraries

The Images page lets you create and maintain libraries for the images that you upload. There, you see the number of images in each library, the date of the last uploaded image, and where those images are stored.

1. On an Images page, click Create a library.
   The Create an image library page opens.
2. Enter the name of the library.
3. To add a description of the library, click Click to add a description.

   NOTE: The information you provide here is not public, it is for your reference only.

4. Under URL name of the library.
   The automatically generated URL of the library appears.
   To change it, click Change and enter a preferred URL name.
5. Under Parent library, choose where to create the library:
   Select one of the following:
   • No parent
     This will be a top level library that has no parent. Referred to as a root library.
   • Select parent library…
     A treeview with existing libraries opens.
     Select the library branch level that will be the parent of the library you are creating.
     A library you are creating will be located within another library, and assumes the settings of its parent.
6. If you specified your library as a top level library, the Root library settings options are enabled. Expand that section to specify:
   • Resizing of images - Use images as uploaded or scale them to each fit within a selected size limit.
   • Browser caching - Caching typically increases performance. Select from the following for what you want for optimal caching:
     • As set for the whole site.
     • No caching
     • Standard caching
     • Long caching
     • No explicit caching

     For more information about caching, see Cache settings.

   • Thumbnails - Images can be displayed as 'thumbnail' of original images that the user clicks to expand them to full size. At library creation, you can choose one or more thumbnail sizes for each image in the library. In an existing library, choose the library's Actions item Thumbnail settings.
   • Maximum album size - Constrain the library to a specified integer number of megabytes (MB).
   • Maximum image size - Constrain the images to a specified integer number of kilobytes (KB).
   • Storage provider - Select whether images are stored in a database or in the file system. For more information, see Storage providers for libraries.
   • Server caching - For the site's server, the default values are Enable caching: Yes, Duration: 2 min, Sliding expiration: Yes. To adjust these values, navigate to Administration » Settings » Advanced settings » System » Output Cache Settings
7. When you are finished creating the library, click one of the following:
   • Create and go to upload images
     Create the library and proceed to upload images.
     Perform procedure in Upload images.
   • Create and go back to all images
     Create the library and return to the Images page, or the Image Libraries page (depending on where you initiated creation of the library.)
   • The Back to link
     Discard the library, and return to the Images page, or the Image Libraries page (depending on where you initiated creation of the library.)

1. On an Images page, click the Actions link of the library you want to edit, and then choose Edit Properties.
   The Edit an image library page opens.
2. Make your required changes.
   

   NOTE: If you are changing the URL of the library, Sitefinity CMS changes the URLs of the items one by one. In case of external storage, changing the library URL may cause data transfer from one storage to another. In case of failure, some of the items might keep their previous URLs and some of the items will have the updated URLs. You can try to resume to get the rest of the items relocated.

3. Click Save changes.
   The system returns to the Images page.

Once created, a library can be moved together with all of its content to another library by changing its parent library.

To do this, perform the following:

1. Click the Actions link of the library that you want to move and from the dropdown, select Move to…
   The Change parent library dialog opens.
2. Select the new parent library and click Move.

You can change the storage provider of a library, which moves all items in a different storage. For example, an image library kept in the database can be moved to the cloud, or a library from one cloud account can be moved to another.
To do this, perform the following:

1. Click the Actions link of the library whose items you want to move and from the dropdown, select Move to another storage.
2. In the Select a storage where this library is to be moved dropdown, all available storage providers are listed.
3. Select where you want to move the items from the library and click Move library.
   

   NOTE: To use a CDN storage, you must configure the CDN storage provider. For more information, see Use CDN storage for content libraries.

Sitefinity CMS processes the library items one by one. It displays a progress bar in the grid.
You can Stop and Resume the operation.

Transfer failure

If one or more of the images cannot be transferred, they are skipped, and the system continues to process the rest of the images.

In this case, the system displays a Failed indication and you have the following links:

• Details link
  When you click it, you can see a lists of all images that failed to transfer.

  NOTE: For more information, you can check the Error.log file that is located in your project's ~\App_Data\Sitefinity\Logs folder.

• Restart link
  The system will attempt to transfer the images that failed.

IMPORTANT: During the process of moving to another storage, you are not able to edit or delete any library items.

For more information, see Storage providers for libraries.

To delete a library, perform one of the following:

• On Images page, select one or more libraries you want to delete and click Delete button in the toolbar.
• On Images page, click the Actions link of the library you want to delete and then click Delete.
• On Edit an image library page, click More actions » Delete.

A dialog opens for you to confirm the deletion.