Managing catalogs in LR 2.

[D. King]

I've perused the DAM book and I've read the instruction/help files for LR and looked at the basic Adobe "importing" video but I find that when I attempt to reorganize my library into new catalog sets I continually run into dead ends.   Without going into this in detail my question is, is there a source of basic step by step instructions re how to do this kind of thing?  

Thanks

[NikoJorj]

when I attempt to reorganize my library into new catalog sets I continually run into dead ends.

Wouldn't it be simpler to make one catalog, and then organize things into collections?
Unless you got a very large number of images (50.000 original images is sometimes quoted as a mean limit, ymmv), having only one catalog seems greatly preferable.
Remember that if you make multiple catalogs, the separations between them are much harder to pass, whereas collections within a catalog can freely intersect and combine.

[PeterAit]

Wouldn't it be simpler to make one catalog, and then organize things into collections?
Unless you got a very large number of images (50.000 original images is sometimes quoted as a mean limit, ymmv), having only one catalog seems greatly preferable.
Remember that if you make multiple catalogs, the separations between them are much harder to pass, whereas collections within a catalog can freely intersect and combine.

I second this advice. The point of LR is to provide organizational tools within a catalog and not require you to maintain separate catalogs for different categories. I have only 2 catalogs, one for "serious" photography and the other for family and other casual snapshots, but I am considering combining them because of the unavoidable overlap.

[D. King]

I second this advice. The point of LR is to provide organizational tools within a catalog and not require you to maintain separate catalogs for different categories. I have only 2 catalogs, one for "serious" photography and the other for family and other casual snapshots, but I am considering combining them because of the unavoidable overlap.

Of course you guys were right.  I'm afraid I worded my question poorly.  I was trying to organize the folders in one catalog but I typed "catalogs".  Anyway I solved the problem.  As it turned out when I had a HD crash a few months ago I inadvertently imported some images from a backup drive.  Since they were already in the catalog I could not import the same images from my primary disk.  As soon as I discovered this and removed the backup from the catalog all was well.  

Live and learn.  

Thanks for your help.