# 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 two new mount points under `volumes:` ``` immich-server: volumes: - ${EXTERNAL_PATH}:/usr/src/app/external ``` Be sure to add exactly the same line to both `immich-server:` and `immich-microservices:`. Edit `.env` to define `EXTERNAL_PATH`, substituting in the correct path for your computer: ``` EXTERNAL_PATH= ``` On my computer, for example, I use this path: ``` EXTERNAL_PATH=/home/tenino/photos ``` :::info EXTERNAL_PATH design The design choice to put the EXTERNAL_PATH into .env rather than put two copies of the absolute path in the yml file in order to make everything easier, so if you have two copies of the same path that have to be kept in sync, then someday later when you move the data, update only one of the paths, without everything will break mysteriously. ::: Restart Immich. ``` docker compose down docker compose up -d ``` # Create the library In the Immich web UI: - click the **Administration** link in the upper right corner. - Select the **External Libraries** tab - Click the **Create Library** button - In the dialog, select which user should own the new library - Click the three-dots menu and select **Edit Import Paths** - Click Add path - Enter **/usr/src/app/external** as the path and click Add - Save the new path - Click the three-dots menu and select **Scan New Library Files** # Confirm stuff is happening - Click **Administration** - Select the **Jobs** tab - You should see non-zero Active jobs for Library, Generate Thumbnails, and Extract Metadata.