Choosing between the Library and Collections is a key part of working effectively with Kinship. Both are places where you can manage Revit content, but they serve different roles.
This guide explains how they differ, where each one shines, and how to decide where your content belongs.
At a glance
| Library | Collections |
|---|
| Purpose | Approved, general-purpose content | Specialized or situational content |
| Audience | All team members across all projects | Specific users or projects |
| Search priority | High by default in all projects | Higher only when assigned to a project |
| Access | Visible to all team members | Can be restricted |
| Contribution | Controlled by content managers | Can be open to contributors |
| Sharing | Internal only | Supports internal and external sharing |
| Use cases | Firm standards, templates, default kits | Client-specific packs, project kits, staging, manufacturer content |
When to use the Library
The Library is your team’s central source of truth. Content here should be general-purpose, approved for use across projects, and actively maintained.
Use the Library when:
- The content reflects your current firm standards
- It’s ready for general use and doesn’t need further editing
- You want it to appear recommended in Revit searches in all projects.
Once an item is in the Library and approved, it’s live. It becomes available to the whole team, clearly marked with a green icon.
While Collections are great for separating different sets of content, the Library supports its own flexible organization through Lists. Lists let you group related items into curated sets. This makes it easy to guide users to recommended content, even when everything lives in one shared Library.
When to use a Collection
Collections are best for content that is project or client specific, or generally content that you do not want to be part of day-to-day work. They give you a flexible place to work with content that isn’t suitable for the Library.
Use a Collection when:
- The content is specific to a project, client, or manufacturer
- You want to collaborate across teams or firms
- You need restricted access for confidential work
- The content is experimental or in progress
- You’re managing a legacy set you want to keep separate from current standards
In Revit add-in searches, content from an assigned Collection appears at the very top of results when the user has the associated project open. This helps guide users toward the content that’s been selected for that project.
A few common patterns
- Baseline and variants: Use the Library for firmwide standards and Collections for client-specific or sector-specific variations.
- Sandboxing: Let contributors upload to a Collection. After review, promote approved items to the Library.
- Confidential work: Use restricted Collections together with restricted projects to manage access.
- Collaboration: Share Collections with partner firms or manufacturers. You can choose whether others can view, contribute, or co-edit.
Anti-patterns to avoid
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Putting the same family in multiple Collections
Collections are completely separate libraries. When you place a family into more than one Collection, each becomes a distinct copy — and must be maintained independently. If you intend that content to be the same across projects or clients, it’s probably a good fit for the Library instead, where it can be further organized into Lists.
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Using Collections instead of Lists to organize general-purpose content
If your goal is simply to group content for convenience — like creating starter kits or discipline bundles — you don’t need a Collection. Use Library Lists instead, which let you curate sets without creating duplicates or fragmenting your content base.
What if I choose the wrong one?
You’re not locked in.
- Items can be moved or copied between the Library and Collections at any time.
- When you move an item, its usage analytics, version history, and tracking data stay with it.
- This means you can reorganize content freely without losing insight into how or where it’s been used.
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