About Picture Libraries

Picture libraries provide a simple way to share and organize digital pictures in a corporate server environment. For example, an organization could create a picture library for marketing graphics — providing a single location for team members to view, share, edit, and download corporate logos or other marketing material.

Although pictures can be stored in other types of lists in Microsoft Windows® SharePoint™ Services, there are many advantages to using picture libraries. These advantages include:

• Viewing pictures with one of three unique display styles.
• Sharing pictures by using slide shows or by sending pictures directly to Microsoft Office 2003 programs.
• Downloading pictures directly to a computer.
• Editing pictures with Windows SharePoint Services-compatible image editors, such as Microsoft Office Picture Manager.

Note  If you are familiar with Windows SharePoint Services document libraries, you will be familiar with picture libaries. The picture library is a special type of library under a parent SharePoint site that contains pictures. Help for the picture library is available from the Windows SharePoint Services site.

You can also work programmatically with picture libaries. For more information, see Imaging Web Service and OISClientLauncher Control.