New BTAA Teams Environment: File Organizing, File Sharing, Additional Resources

New BTAA Teams Environment: File Organizing, File Sharing, Additional Resources

Below are some helpful tips and reminders for navigating the new CLP Community Engagement Network Team in the BTAA Teams environment.

See the FAQs article for additional details. 

🔐 Access & File Sharing

Access to the CLP Teams within the BTAA Teams environment is currently limited to participants in BTAA library community groups. In this new shared Teams environment, we’re being intentional about managing access, especially around shared files and resources.

If there is a need to share files with people outside your group, here are a couple of good options:

  • Attach files in email messages as attachments, or

  • Use the "External Sharing – View Access" folder in your group’s channel. Anything you move or copy there can be viewed without needing BTAA Teams access.

To share a link to that folder or any file inside:

  1. Click the three dots next to the folder

  2. Select "Manage Access"

  3. In the Manage Access window, copy the relevant link under "Links"

  4. Share that link as needed with folks outside your group


For content that needs to be editable by non-group members, you can use the "External Sharing – Editing Access" folder. We recommend using discretion when sharing editing links, especially with a broader audience.

📁 File Organization in Teams

Each channel has five color-coded folders as part of standard site setup:

You’ll notice two folders pinned at the top. Please keep these pinned so we maintain consistency across groups:

  1. Meeting Agendas and Minutes
    Feel free to create subfolders with preferred names, but please don’t rename or remove the pinned folder. This naming helps us keep things consistent across all groups. If your group has adjusted the folder structure or names, we may reach out to help keep things consistent across groups.

  2. Group Charter and Roster
    This is the place to store your group’s official charter (for peer groups) or light charter (for communities of practice). If your group doesn’t yet have one:

    • Peer groups: contact your group liaison

    • Communities of practice: email the Center for Library Helpdesk to get started

    • Rosters are optional but encouraged — they help group to keep track of membership. The current roster can also be stored here


The “Files to archive post-migration” folder is optional and intended only for content your group no longer actively uses. If it doesn’t apply to your group, feel free to ignore or delete this folder.

The other two folders - External Sharing – View Access and External Sharing – Editing Access are covered above. These are also intended to be retained for maintaining consistency for external file sharing within this shared Teams environment. 

📘 Additional Resources

We’ve created a few resources in the General channel to help everyone get comfortable in this shared Teams space:

  • Getting Started Guide – A helpful intro for folks new to Teams or the BTAA Teams environment.

  • Best Practices Guide – A guide for being a good neighbor in this shared digital space. It includes tips for naming files clearly and working with others who may “visit” your group’s channel.

  • Community Group Participation Guide – This serves as a general norms and agreements document for all BTAA community group participants. Some groups may choose to supplement it with more detailed, group-specific guidelines.


    • Popular Articles

    • Getting Started

      Welcome to the Big Ten Academic Alliance Knowledge Base! A knowledge base is a centralized repository for information, designed to help users find answers quickly. It can include FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting steps. Some materials may require ...

    • HowTo - Access Big Ten Academic Alliance Microsoft Teams tenant

      The Big Ten Academic Alliance uses Microsoft Teams for collaboration, communication, and resource sharing. Below is some helpful information on accessing the BTAA Teams tenant: How to access BTAA Teams tenant after being added: Method 1: 1. Bookmark ...

    • HowTo - Login and use Zoom Events for Center for Library Programs events

      This Knowledge Base article provides a guide on logging in and using the Zoom Events platform. At the Big Ten Academic Alliance, we use Zoom Events to host virtual events for our stakeholder/peer groups. Below, you'll find information to help you ...

    • HowTo - Join lobby & sessions of a Zoom Event as pre-registered speaker for Center of Library Programs events

      This Knowledge Base article provides the steps on how to join the lobby and sessions of a Zoom event as a pre-registered speaker. How to enter event lobby and join sessions: 1. Click the event link in your email/calendar appt to open the Event ...

    • Hewlett Foundation Grant Funded BTAA Events

      In fiscal year 2025 and 2026, certain BTAA events will be eligible for full sponsorship of costs. These meetings will be funded by the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) through a generous grant from the William + Flora Hewlett Foundation (Hewlett). We ...