Jennifer Ann Mason

This is the second post in a series about a sample Intranet Marketing site. In this post we want to look at some various options we have for storing a collection of common images that we want our users to use as the standard images. The easier we make for them to work with, the more chance we have of our users returning to the site and always grabbing the latest and greatest. We want to be able to highlight the latest approved images as well as provide a repository of older images. The way we have chosen to implement this is by creating a Picture Library and then using the Picture Library Slide Show web part to display the images on the home page of the site.

This allows us to provide a way for users to access an entire library of images, as well as display the images on the home page. This slideshow web part is a way to grab the reader’s attention as they are browsing the site. To get started, we will create a new Picture Library. (Site Actions -> More Options):

For the most part we will use the default settings of the library. We will upload any of our images to this library and then train users on how to best work with the content. In the remainder of this post we will highlight some of those out of the box features.

Views

So the first thing that I want to highlight in this post are the default views that you get when you create a Picture Library:

• Details : This view is similar to what users would see in a typical Fileshare.
  

  
  

• Thumbnail: This view is the default view and shows a thumbnail of each of the images.
  

  
  

• Filmstrip : This view allows you to see the thumbnail as well as a larger image in a filmstrip type format.
  

  
  

The beauty of having so many options is that users can select the view that best fits what they are trying to accomplish. In all of the views you may have noticed that there is an item selection box.

This is also a great feature in this type of library that allows you to select multiple images and then complete common tasks. The actions that you can perform are included in the Actions menu on the library (yes I said menu and not Ribbon. This is one of the list types that doesn’t yet support the ribbon).

Some of the most powerful features of this library include:

• Ability to download multiple images at once to your local machine. You simply select the items that you would like to have downloaded and then select the option in the Actions menu. When you do this, you are presented with a screen that allows you to configure the download properties.
  

  
  

• Ability to select images and then send them to a document or email. You select the image(s) that you want to send and then from the actions menu select the Send to option.
  

  
  

  Using this feature allows users to quickly add content to their open documents. This makes the process of getting the most up to date images nice and simple!
  

• The final item I want to discuss is the feature that allows you to view a slideshow. From the Actions menu if a user selects this option they are able to see in a new window, a slideshow presentation of the content.
  

  
  

That covers some of the OOTB features I wanted to highlight for the list, and now we will move on to the Picture Library Slideshow web part. This web part allows a slideshow of the images to run on the page where the web part is configured. To get stared, insert the web part on the home page:

Once the web part is loaded, open the tool pane to configure the web part settings:

These settings allow for you to configure the settings such as order and duration to meet your needs. I encourage you to play with the different settings until you find the ones that work best for your scenario.

So that concludes this blog post. Hopefully this gives you some insight on some of the ways that you can manage images within your site. Add to the comments any thoughts or additions you might have! Would love to hear your feedback!