IPhoto keeps "dropping" my library that's located on an external drive

iPhoto can't seem to hold on to my external Western Digital drive.
My iPhoto library is located on the drive (connected via USB). When I launch iPhoto, it loads up all my photos from the library, and they look fine. But if I try to print a photo and/or start moving around within the library in iPhoto to view other images, every thumbnail goes black and I get messages that iPhoto must quit, and that a device (the external drive) was removed improperly. This happened like five times in a row.
I've checked the power and USB cables, and I'm pretty sure they're not the problem.
When I unplug and replug the USB cable, the external drive remounts. When I launch iPhoto again, it prompts me to select my library. Then all the photos are back, at least until the next time I start printing photos or moving around in the library.
This problem only came up when I moved to the new Mac Mini and new iPhoto (I had other iPhoto problems on my old MacBook, which I also ran from a library on the external drive, but I didn't have this problem).
I need iPhoto to quit dropping the external drive -- any ideas? Thanks.

Most likely cause: A damaged USB port on either the Mac or the Disk, or a faulty cable. To check for this try a variety of each.
When the drive dismounts, is it gone from the Finder too? If so, it supports the Hardware theory.
Less Likely but also possible: what format is the External Drive? iPhoto requires a drive formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Regards
TD

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