What to do with multiple Photos Libraries

That is not possible.

I think due to the similar size, the second library you mention is the migrated Iphoto library. First thing to check is if the photos in the smaller library are also in the larger one. You can do this with a spot check on some specific dates.

If it is not, you probably want to merge the photos from the smaller library into your larger one.

This article describes how.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209528

Alternatively, you can get the paid app (power photos) which will copy photos from one library to antother, complete with metadata, edits, and albums.

(EDIT: power photos can show the contents of two libraries at the same time - including the demo version - though the demo version will not copy the photos for you)

Hans, you should be aware, that the quoted support article (Combine libraries in Photos - Apple Support) is the only way it can be done in Photos (without having to pay for extra iCloud storage or PowerPhotos), but really is the worst way to combine libraries, because it is lossy. If you go down that route you will only move your photos between the libraries, but lose the albums and you have to choose, if you want to move the edited versions (with the metadata and adjustments) or the originals (the highest quality, but without the adjustments and metadata - even exporting with XPM sidecar files will not always save the metadata) or import both (and are seeing all photos twice, the edited version plist the high quality original).

Just to emphasise the other options mentioned by Tony and Russ:

• The only nearly lossless way to merge libraries is iCloud Photos, the best option, if you are already using iCloud Photos. It will merge the library, and not just transfer the photos. All albums and folders, even your smart albums, the named faces will be there. And it will keep the originals and edited versions paired and save you from having to clutter up the library with duplicate versions for your edited versions.
• The second best option is PowerPhotos (on macOS 10.15 Catalina). It can also keep the originals and edited versions paired and transfer albums and folders. But it can only merge items, that are stored locally at the full resolution. Trying to use it on an optimised iCloud Photos Library will give random results, depending on which photos and videos have currently been optimised. I am even getting error messages for my iCloud Photos Library that is not using "Optimise Storage", because Photos is never showing us, if it already has downloaded all originals.

If you are using the export-import method recommended by Apple, do yourself a favour and archive the original libraries on an external volume, before you start merging, so can look up the original metadata, the adjustments, the albums in the original libraries, while you are recreating the albums in your new library.

For more background information see: Notes on Merging Photos Libraries, 2019 Version

Hi,

A few questions there.

• If you hold down alt as you open the Photos application it will give you the option of choosing which library to open
• When Photos is open, if you open preferences (cmd + ,) or open from top menu bar it will show you the path to the current library

Of the libraries you have listed, the third one is the old iPhotos library, so more than likely the first library you have listed was a migrated version of the iPhoto library.

I suggest you open both 'Photos Library' and 'Photos Library 2' and if there indeed different photos in each then you have a few different options to merge them which we can discuss next.

No, sorry my wording wasn't very clear.

If you open each of your libraries in turn you can then see what photos you have in each library. If, indeed they contain different then you have a couple of options:

• You can export all of the photos from the smaller library and then import them into your main library. However, you will need to chose whether to export the photos unmodified, ie with no edits or export the photo with all the edits in tact, but then you will not be able to reverse them in the future. You will also lose some other info such as keywords.
• Or you can use a programme like Power Photos which will merge the libraries and depending on which version of Mac OS you are running, this will affect which information gets merged.

There is a way to merge the Photos Library.photoslibrary (129.68 GB), Photos Library 2.photoslibrary libraries, the smaller into the larger. That would be with the paid version of PowerPhotos. This PowerPhotos tutorial describes how: Merging libraries.

Or you can use the iCloud Library to merge the two libraries into one but that would require purchasing enough iCloud storage to accommodate both libraries and would take much longer than with PP. It would be a bit more complete however.

Disclaimer: I don't use iCloud Library so am biased to other methods.

The method in the Apple document that Tony linked to would negate all of your organizational efforts in the libraries and lose any projects.

Sorry - I meant is was annoying for Russ. You put all the effort into crafting a reply, post it, just to find someone else has already done it.

To summarise the article - doing it that way, you can either transfer original photos with metadata, or edited versions of the photos without metadata. You can't do both (via export/import)

Power photos allows you to transfer the images with original files, edits, and metadata.

Basically wot Tony said!

Isn't it annoying when someone replies with the same info just before you

:-)

Very true!!