SharePoint: 3 Ways to Create Libraries

Key insights

• The video defines a Document Library as a secure, centralized place to store and collaborate on files.
  Libraries support versioning, metadata, custom views, and real-time editing to keep teams aligned.
• Use a Blank Library when you need a simple setup or want to start from scratch.
  This gives full control over columns, views, and permissions without importing legacy settings.
• Choose Copy an Existing Library to clone metadata, views, and formatting instantly.
  This saves time and prevents rebuild work when you want consistent structure across sites.
• Pick Library From a Template for the fastest rollout of a fully preconfigured library.
  Templates deliver baked-in metadata and settings, which helps standardize governance and user experience.
• Plan site strategy: create libraries inside an Existing Site to reuse permissions and navigation, or use a Dedicated Site when you need custom controls and branding.
  Use separate libraries for different content types to keep content organized and reduce clutter.
• Microsoft updated the interface to simplify actions and navigation, adding a combined Create or Upload control and an AI Actions entry in the command bar, plus clearer breadcrumbs.
  Best practices: standardize metadata, use templates or copies to ensure consistency, and plan architecture up front to avoid messy sites and rework.

Intro: Video Snapshot

The newsroom reviewed a recent YouTube video from SharePoint Maven Inc that explains three practical ways to create a document library in SharePoint Online, and it walks viewers through when to choose each method to avoid messy sites and rework. The presenter aims to help site owners and administrators build clean, consistent libraries that align with governance and user needs. As a summary, this story highlights the video’s core guidance, explores tradeoffs between speed and control, and outlines the challenges organizations face when adopting each approach.

What the Video Covers

The video breaks the task into three clear methods and stresses practical decision points rather than one-size-fits-all rules. First, the author shows how to start with a blank slate to stay simple and flexible, and then demonstrates how copying an existing library can save time by reusing metadata, views, and formatting. Finally, the presenter shows how using a template can deploy a fully configured library quickly, with settings and structure already in place.

The Three Methods Explained

To orient readers quickly, the video lists three core options that fit most organizational needs and scenarios. Each option maps to a common tradeoff between setup speed, consistency, and customization, and the presenter gives real-world advice on when each method makes sense for projects and teams.

• Create a Blank Library
• Copy an Existing Library
• Create a Library From a Template

When you create a blank library, you get simplicity and full control over columns and views, which makes this method ideal for new or small projects where requirements remain light. Conversely, when you copy an existing library, you instantly reuse metadata and view settings, which saves time but can carry forward hidden inconsistencies if the source wasn’t governed well. Using a template provides the fastest path to a standard setup across many sites, and while that helps maintain consistency, it requires good upfront design so templates don’t lock in poor practices later on.

Tradeoffs and Challenges

The video and our follow-up analysis show that speed, consistency, and governance rarely align perfectly, and teams must weigh them carefully. For example, copying a library speeds deployment, yet it can spread undocumented columns or wrong content types unless administrators validate the source first. Therefore, organizations must choose between quick wins and long-term hygiene, because shortcuts often lead to cleanup work that costs more time than careful setup.

Moreover, templates enforce standardization but limit flexibility, and administrators must decide how rigid templates should be to balance consistency with local needs. Meanwhile, blank libraries favor flexibility yet put the burden on users to create consistent metadata and views, which often fails without clear policies and training. Consequently, the real challenge lies in governance: aligning naming, columns, and permissions across teams while keeping the process practical and repeatable.

Practical Recommendations from the Video

The presenter recommends choosing the method that fits the scenario rather than forcing one approach across the board, and this aligns with common governance best practices. For short-term or single-use projects, a blank library often works best because it keeps things simple, but for recurring or enterprise scenarios, templates or copies provide the predictability teams need. In all cases, the speaker stresses validating sources, documenting templates, and testing permissions before broad rollout to avoid surprises later.

Additionally, the video suggests pairing chosen creation methods with lightweight governance steps such as standard column sets, naming conventions, and sample views so teams can remain nimble while staying consistent. Training and quick reference guides help users follow patterns, and periodic audits can catch drift before it becomes a significant cleanup task. Thus, governance should focus on practical controls that reduce rework without slowing everyday collaboration.

Implications for Organizations

Ultimately, the video frames library creation as a balance between immediate needs and long-term management, and the choice you make will shape future work for site owners and information managers. Organizations with many teams should invest time in well-designed templates and vetted library copies to reduce friction, whereas smaller groups may prefer blank libraries with clear lightweight rules. By contrast, neglected governance risks inconsistent metadata, lost search value, and hours of rework, so organizations should plan a mix of methods tied to governance and training.

Conclusion

This SharePoint Maven Inc. video provides a concise, practical guide to creating document libraries in SharePoint Online, and it emphasizes choosing the right tool for the job. In addition, the training highlights that the real work begins after creation: maintain templates, curate copies, and train users to keep libraries useful and searchable. For newsroom readers and IT teams alike, the takeaway is simple: pick the method that fits your needs and back it with clear governance to avoid future headaches.

Keywords

SharePoint document library, create document library in SharePoint, how to create SharePoint library, SharePoint libraries tutorial, SharePoint library best practices, SharePoint Online library setup, modern SharePoint document library, manage SharePoint library permissions