How to include hymn files into a slideshow, using PowerPoint 2010 or 2013

This article describes how to make the slideshow for a church service by including slides from files in your hymn-library.  

It is for PowerPoint 2010 and PowerPoint 2013.    See here for PowerPoint 2007 instructions.

(Although these instructions are about hymns / songs and making a slideshow for a church service, the general approach can by used with any types of files that are managed in PowerPoint.)

How to copy a hymn from the slide-library into a PowerPoint file

Prepare your file

Open the PowerPoint file or template that you want to add the hymn or song to.

If you've started from a template , then use save-as to it under another name.

Add the first hymn / song

Go to the slide immediately before where you want to put the first song or hymn.    (In templates from this site, this would be the divider or reminder slide for that item)

Click the small arrow beside New Slide on the Home ribbon, to see the New Slide drop-down menu.

Choose Reuse slides from the bottom of the list:

In a moment, a Reuse Slides toolbar opens, usually on the right-hand-side of the screen.

Choose one of:

• “Open a Library” (if a library has been set up using Microsoft SharePoint)
  
  OR
  
• "Open a Powerpoint file” if you are just using the tools on your computer or network.
   (If in doubt, use this option:  if someone has set up a SharePoint library for you, you will most likely know about it).

Select the file for the hymn or song (or prayer) which you want from the file-navigation dialog box.

This puts a miniature version of the slides in the file you chose into the Re-use Slides panel on the right side of your screen.

Do not click the Keep Source Formatting check-box at the bottom of the Reuse Slides panel, unless there is some special formatting on the library file that you want to keep.

Click once on each slide from the mini-version (right hand side) that you want to appear in the slideshow you are making. This puts a copy of that slide into the file you are making.

Insert the other hymns

After you have inserted the first hymn:

• Use the slide-navigator on the left side of the screen to move to the next place you want to insert a hymn.
• Click the Browse button in the Reuse Slides panel
• Find the file for the next hymn you want to include
• Click on the slides to use for this hymn, so they are inserted.

Repeat these steps until you have included all the hymns you need.   Then click the cross on the top-right side of the Reuse Slides panel to close it.

Final changes

Once you have finished inserting hymns and song, go back and make any changes that are needed for this particular service (eg removing reminder slides, leaving out verses, repeating choruses, adding pictures or background).

And of course - save the file regularly as you work and when you are finished.