Panic - I seem to have messed up a my shared iPhoto library....

I truly hope someone can help me with my issue.
I was following instructions for rebuilding my iphoto library - it is shared between two users and so the library has been moved to the shared folder within the Users directory. I am not sure what happend to cause the mess but when I start iphoto it starts as though it is the first time using it - no pictures just a "to get started" sticky note.
I have started while holding down the option key and confirmed that the library that is being chosen is the one that is in the shared folder. Furthermore when I select the iphoto library that I want to open from within the finder it appears to be 15 gb which is the size I would have normally expected it to be.
Is there some way to fix this data so that I get my photo's back. I do have time machine and so I can go back to a time before I tried to rebuild, but I am really not sure how to do that so if that is the best path I would appreciate any direction to accomplish this.
I have other back ups but at present if I was to have to back to them it would be a year or more of very key photos lost.
Please help and thank you.
Scott

As I continue to try and figure this out I have noticed that even the library that I did not touch or try to update - (an older one that was not shared and that resided in my home directory under Pictures - the default location for iphoto libraries) will not open now. This library is a year or so old but normally would have over 1000 photos. It appears as an available library to open when I start iPhoto while holding down the option key but even after being selected iphoto opens completely empty.
It seems like there is something that is preventing iPhoto from reading these libraries but I am not sure how to correct this. I suspect when I try to restore from time machine I will encounter the same issue. Before I do anything else I am copying the data that was in the Photo Masters folder from within the iPhoto package to an external HD. They are all JPGs and appear to open properly inside Preview so once completed I will be dealing with trying to get iPhoto to work not the more critical issue of recovering 9 years of family photos.
Still will be very appreciative of any guidance on getting back to normal.
sg.

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PROBLEM SOLVED - WHAT A MYSTERY and a WASTE OF MY TIME.
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(DESCRIPTION =
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Panic - I seem to have messed up a my shared iPhoto library....

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