Why can't I access my itunes library on an external drive?

Hi -- I successfully moved my itunes library to an external drive a few months ago, and all was going well - I added content to it several times. For some reason now I can't access it, and when I tried to burn a CD into itunes, it created a new library that is on my hard drive. I have done the thing where I go into preferences and select the external drive as the library, but I still can't get to the external drive.
This is particularly urgent because I have a 2-week old baby and I am trying to burn one of those awful "soothing sounds" CDs so I can play it on my ipod while he is sleeping. Thank you!

If the iTunes Library.itl file is also on the external drive, try launching iTunes while holding down the Shift key, and when the dialog window opens that allows you to create a new library or open an existing one, choose to open an existing one, navigate to the folder that contains that library file and select it.
If that works, note for the future that if you launch iTunes when that external drive isn't mounted, iTunes will default back to the normal location on the internal drive and you'll have to repeat the Shift-launch process.
Hope this helps.

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Hello Community Peeps!
I'm looking for some advice and hope someone has the same setup that I'm hoping to make.
I currently have an iMac and recently had to replace the screen. As the machine is now out of warranty I'm thinking to sell it on before I get any further problems. I Currently have all my work and entire iTunes library stored on an external drive connected via usb to the iMac.
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That won't get your your "library". Your library, in essence, is (was?) a file called library.itl in your iTunes folder. This is a database with a listing of which media files you have and where they are, long with playlists, ratings, and a bunch of other things (which artwork goes with which album). If all you have on the external drive are the media files then when your old computer died it took the library.itl file with it.
What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660
More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3847
Image of iTunes folder structure Dec. 2011 - https://discussions.apple.com/message/16923545
see also:
Image of folder structure and explanation of different iTunes versions (turingtest2 post) - https://discussions.apple.com/message/13025536 and https://discussions.apple.com/message/17457605
If you want your full library listing back then you will have to recover it from your bakup drive (which is why you have it). Alternatively you can create a brand new library file, add the media to it, and start new.

Why can't I access my itunes library on an external drive?

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