Media Library
What is the media library?
The Media Library is where all documents, videos and images are stored in the T4 system.
Media files can be images, documents, PDF files, audio files or *video files.
*NOTE: Although the T4 media library can accept video files the size limit on such files is 52mb. It is often easier to use a third party hosting option for videos like YouTube or Vimeo as these services are able to format video more effectively for display on websites.
Similar to the web site itself, the Media library is organized into folders which are called Categories. This allows you to structure and organize your media items.
To access the media library, go to the "Content" menu on the far left of the screen. Click this menu items to display additional options. One of these options will be the "Media Library".
The main workspace area now changes to include a site structure-style menu at the centre/left titled Media categories that allows you to navigate the folders to locate the media you want.
The category/folder structure of the Media Library starts with a folder called "Categorized" at the centre/left hand side of the screen. Inside this folder there are several other folders, one of which is called SMU5. It's within the SMU5 folder that all other folders for the SMU site are located.
The file pathway to the folder for this T4 tutorial site is: Categorised > SMU5 > T4 Tutorial
Other sites will have a similar file pathway starting with "Categorised > SMU5 > Some other folder name"
Once you select a folder, the folder name (or category) will show as being highlighted in blue (below). If it is not highlighted in blue then the files within that folder will not be displayed. Once you have selected a folder the files within that folder will be displayed to the right of the screen as show above.
When viewing the media files in a folder, the list is automatically broken down into groups of 10 items. You can either scroll through the pages to find the media file you need using the page navigation buttons on the bottom right of the window, or directly above the thumbnail column (top right) is a drop-down box that allows you to select how many items to display on a page. The options are 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, and All.
You can also use the Filter option as seen to the right of the screen to search for a specific file by name or keywords.
Identify photos that are appropriate for the SMU website and who to contact
To ensure that our website appears professional, all photos used on the Saint Mary’s website must be of sufficient quality in several areas:
- Resolution
Today users expect pages to load fast. 40% of users will abandon the page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. In order for your page to load as quickly as possible, photos must be optimized to provide a balance between photo quality and file size. Photos taken directly from the digital camera or a smartphone are not good candidates for direct use on web pages. These photos have a very large file size and can take a long time to download. The best way to optimize the photo before uploading it to Media Library is to reduce its size in a photo editor such as Windows Paint or Photoshop. The maximum width for photos on SMU website is 762px, so the easiest way to optimize photo size is to reduce its width to 762px or below, while having the “maintain aspect ratio” option checked. - Image Content/Subject
Web editors are asked to use their best judgement when deciding if a photo is appropriate for use on the Saint Mary’s website. As a reminder, all photos posted on our website represent our university to external viewers. Try to keep photos professional, and limit the use of personal photos to pages where this type of informality is appropriate.
Reminder: Any photos that include a recognizable person (i.e. you can see their face clearly) who is under the age of 18, MUST, under all circumstances, have an image waiver signed by a parent or guardian approving the use of the minor’s image for our website. Contact at External Affairs for a digital copy of the Saint Mary’s image waiver.
The External Affairs Office also manages a large photo library, and in some circumstances, can arrange freelance photography for an office/department.
All photo related questions can be directed to External Affairs Office.
Next Lesson - Adding Images to the Media Library »