The Library module
Photos in the catalog and their accompanying data are viewed in the Library module. You can view all photos in the catalog as thumbnails in a grid or the catalog can be filtered in different ways to show only the photos you need to see. The Library module has controls you use to search for and display specific photos and data. You can also group photos into collections or a temporary collection called a Quick Collection, or use keyword tags and metadata to find your photos.
The Library module is where you view, sort, manage, organize, compare, and rate your photos. It’s your home base for working with photos after importing them into Lightroom. Photos are displayed in the central area of the Library module:
- Grid view
- Displays photos as thumbnails in cells, which can be viewed in compact and expanded sizes. The Grid view gives you an overview of your entire catalog or specific groups of photos in your catalog for rotating, sorting, organizing, and managing your photos. Options are available for viewing information about photos, including their ratings, color labels, and Pick or Rejected flags in the cells. If you photographed a series of similar photos, they can be neatly grouped in a stack with the thumbnail of the best photo showing. See Grouping photos into stacks.
- Loupe view
- Displays a single photo. Controls let you view the entire photo or zoom in to see part of it. Zoom levels up to 11:1 are available.
- Compare view
- Displays photos side-by-side so that you can evaluate them.
- Survey view
-
Displays the active photo with selected photos so that you
can evaluate them. The active photo has a Selected Photo
icon
and the other photos have a Deselect Photo 
icon.
There are buttons and commands for switching between views in the Library module. When you’re in the Grid view, double-clicking a photo displays the image in Loupe view. See Switch between Grid, Loupe, Compare, and Survey views.
The panels on the left side are primarily for finding and displaying specific photos. You can find photos by using a text search, specifying a capture time range, or selecting specific folders, collections, keyword tags, or metadata. Being able to search for and find photos is important when you want to locate specific images, or assemble a group of photos into slideshows or web photo galleries, or print your photos in a contact sheet. See Working with collections and Finding photos in the catalog.
The panels on the left also have features for adding photos to a folder or collection, or assigning keyword tags or metadata to photos. The Navigator panel lets you adjust the view of your photos in Loupe view. See Browse photos by folders, Working with keywords, and Viewing photos in Loupe view.
The panels on the right side let you view a histogram of the active photo, as well as view and add metadata and keyword tags to photos. The Quick Develop panel lets you quickly applying tone adjustments to photos without leaving the Library module. The tone adjustments in the Quick Develop panel are the same as their counterparts in the Develop module. However, the Develop module has more precise controls for making adjustments and edits to the image. See Reading image histograms, Viewing and editing metadata, and Quick Develop.
Depending on the view, the toolbar contains controls for sorting, applying keywords or ratings, rotating photos, playing an impromptu slideshow, or viewing information about the photo. See Show controls in the Library module toolbar.
- A.
- Selected photo information
- B.
- View buttons
- C.
- Information box
- D.
- Toolbar menu