On one of my Macs I have this in Photos:
“Library” is right at the top. On another I set up a new user account, and that same sidebar has “Library” missing. How can I make it appear?
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 14.5
The "Library" item will vanish, if your Mac has been starting up in Safe Mode.
The Library item requires certain advanced features of the Graphics Card, that may be turned off in Safe Mode. Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?
See also this user tip - it has been written for macOS Catalina, but also applies to more recent system versions: Photos on Catalina: If the Photos View vanishes from the sidebar, check if the Mac is in Safe Mode - Apple Community
The "Library" item will vanish, if your Mac has been starting up in Safe Mode.
The Library item requires certain advanced features of the Graphics Card, that may be turned off in Safe Mode. Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?
See also this user tip - it has been written for macOS Catalina, but also applies to more recent system versions: Photos on Catalina: If the Photos View vanishes from the sidebar, check if the Mac is in Safe Mode - Apple Community
Elsewhere, I learned that more recent versions of Photos require a Metal-capable video card. Not the case on the MacBook5,1, on which I ran into this problem.
the card could be the problem, yes. Some users with older iMacs had the same problem after a system upgrade.
“Library” not showing in new Photos sidebar
