# External Library
This guide walks you through adding an [External Library](/docs/features/libraries#external-libraries).
This guide assumes you are running Immich in Docker and that the files you wish to access are stored
in a directory on the same machine.
# Mount the directory into the containers.
Edit `docker-compose.yml` to add one or more new mount points in the section `immich-server:` under `volumes:`.
If you want Immich to be able to delete the images in the external library or add metadata ([XMP sidecars](/docs/features/xmp-sidecars)), remove `:ro` from the end of the mount point.
```diff
immich-server:
volumes:
- ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/usr/src/app/upload
+ - /home/user/photos1:/home/user/photos1:ro
+ - /mnt/photos2:/mnt/photos2:ro # you can delete this line if you only have one mount point, or you can add more lines if you have more than two
```
Restart Immich by running `docker compose up -d`.
# Create the library
In the Immich web UI:
- click the **Administration** link in the upper right corner.
.default} "Administration link")
- Select the **External Libraries** tab
.default} "External Libraries tab")
- Click the **Create Library** button
.default} "Create Library button")
- In the dialog, select which user should own the new library
.default} "Library owner diaglog")
- Click the three-dots menu and select **Edit Import Paths**
.default} "Edit Import Paths menu option")
- Click Add path
.default} "Add Path button")
- Enter **/usr/src/app/external** as the path and click Add
.default} "Add Path field")
- Save the new path
.default} "Path Save button")
- Click the three-dots menu and select **Scan New Library Files**
.default} "Scan New Library Files menu option")
# Confirm stuff is happening
- Click **Administration**
- Select the **Jobs** tab
.default} "Jobs tab")
- You should see non-zero Active jobs for
Library, Generate Thumbnails, and Extract Metadata.
.default} "Job Status display")