Work with libraries

Libraries support the FileNet Document Management capabilities to provide community members document management capabilities to upload, manage, organize, and collaborate on community files. A community can contain multiple libraries.

Interaction with libraries from the desktop is only available when we are connecting to a IBM Connections server. This feature is not supported on IBM SmartCloud.

When the Connections Content Manager add-on is deployed, community owners can create community libraries directly from a community using the Library widget. Community libraries provide owners and members with the following content management capabilities and enhanced social features:

• Check in and check out. Members can check out files and edit them using private drafts. Checked out files are locked to prevent other users from making updates at the same time.

• Version control. Members can see who has updated content at a glance and roll back to previous file versions if there is a need to recover older content.

• File organization. Members can copy, move, and delete files.

• Draft review. Members can collaborate on shared files and send them through an established review cycle to obtain the approval of selected members of the community.

• Sharing. Community owners can set file-level access to the library, giving them tighter control over who can edit content.

• Social content management. Members can interact with content in the community library in a social and dynamic way.

  For example, they can use tags to categorize content and improve file retrieval, and like files to recommend them to fellow members. Members can also follow files, comment on files, and see who has downloaded files.

• Document types and properties. Community owners can set the default document type for a library, allowing them to specify a defined set of information and properties for library files.

• Add a file to a library
  Add a file from Windows Explorer or the desktop to a library.

• Edit a library file
  Download files from a library to edit them.

• Share a library file
  Share a library file to make it available to others.

• Reviewing a library file
  If review workflow is enabled for the library through the browser interface, we can approve or reject a file from the desktop if we are a designated reviewer.

• Following, liking, and commenting on library files
  In addition to downloading, checking out, and uploading new versions of files, we can use the rich social features provided by community libraries to interact with files and collaborate on them with the colleagues.

• View and managing versions
  View, open or restore earlier versions of a file or create a new version.

• Manage library file drafts
  Publish updates to the library files from the Drafts monitor.

• Edit library file properties
  View and edit properties associated with a library file.

• Set preferences for libraries
  Set preferences that control how you interact with library files.

Parent topic:
Use the plug-in for Windows Explorer