Why should you use a document library instead of a classic network drive for file storage and what is a document library anyway? What advantages does it have? You can find out all this, as well as tips on using it with SharePoint and in Teams, in this blog article.
What is a document library and what are its advantages?
A network drive is a centralised file repository that everyone can access. In contrast, SharePoint document libraries offer many advantages:
- Real-time collaboration: Several users can work on a file at the same time and track changes in real time.
- Access from anywhere: Whether you're in the office, working from home or on the move - you can access document libraries from any device with Internet access at any time and work in a decentralised way.
- Versioning: Every change to a file is saved automatically. The SharePoint saves every change and you can revert to an earlier version if required.
- Metadata and filters: Documents can be labelled and filtered with additional information such as status, priority or category - more on this later!
A major advantage of SharePoint document libraries is their seamless integration with other Microsoft services such as Teams, OneDrive and Outlook. This means you can use your files directly in Microsoft Teams or attach emails from Outlook to a library.
Access to SharePoint and organisation of the document library
To open a document library in SharePoint, visit http://office.com/ and log in with your user data. You can find SharePoint on the left-hand side under the available apps.
On the SharePoint home page you will find all for you accessible websites. Your team probably already has its own page, which you can access via the Navigation or the Search function finds. If you would like to create your own page for a new project, click on Create website and follows the instructions.
Once on your team's page you will find standard a document library, which you can access under the tab Documents is available. However, you can also access additional document libraries under "New → Document library" and create an overview of all existing libraries if you click on the Gear wheel at the top right and then click Website content chooses:
Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter for more SharePoint efficiency.Microsoft tips.AI in SharePoint.secret tricks.
Add and edit files together
In the document library, you can create new folders or files such as Excel lists or Word files and also upload files from your computer by clicking on Upload or dragging and dropping the files in.
Once you have uploaded a file, you can easily share it with your team. To do this, click on the share icon next to the file, set the desired authorisations and enter the names of the people you want to share the file with.
The special feature: If several people are working on a document at the same time, all changes are displayed in real time. This function is available for Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.
The version history
Another useful feature is the version history. If you want to view or restore an older version of a file, you can find it under the three dots to the right of the file name under "Version history".
Here you will find an overview of of all previous versions of the file, when this was created and by whom changes have been made. Under the arrow next to the date, you can display the selected version, restore this version or delete it permanently.
You can also be notified, e.g. by e-mail, when changes are made to a file. To use this feature, simply click on the 3 dots next to the file name and then on "Notify me":
Integration with Microsoft Teams
SharePoint and Teams work together seamlessly. If you upload files to Teams, they are automatically saved in the associated SharePoint libraries, as each channel in Teams has a folder with the same name in SharePoint. The files are synchronised but not saved twice.
Customise the document library
You can customise your document library, for example by adding new columns to display additional information such as the status of a file.
These columns can also be used as Filters can be used to organise the files according to, for example, the person, the editing status or the creation date, and fast to find the files you need:
Would you like a Save search filteryou can do this under "All documents → Save view as":
In this example, you can now navigate between all documents and documents in the final editing status.
It is also possible to View to display files as a list or tiles, which is particularly useful for image files.
How do I upload documents to SharePoint?
To upload documents to SharePoint, open the desired document library on your SharePoint site. Click on the button "Upload"which is located in the top menu. Select "Files" or "Folder" depending on what you want to add. Navigate to the files on your computer and confirm the upload. Alternatively, you can upload files via Drag-and-drop directly into the library. Your documents are now available for your team.
German 
English 