File Management
Best Practices
Observations from the History Department
Carla Zimowsk
Technology Manager
Princeton University History Department
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
Why such a simple topic?
Department technologist and
librarian combine efforts to
better educate History faculty and
graduate students on the basics.
Old archivist saying:
“You don’t own it
if you can’t find it!”
No universal approach or tool.
http://www.damlearningcenter.com/street-smarts/file-naming-best-practices-for-digital-asset-management/
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
Cues from real-world organization – internal/external:
A study in human-information behavior
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
Hierarchies
HistoryOfBooks
Censorship
England
Italy
Relationships
Mind-Mapping
Smart Search
France
Articles
Images
http://javieraenglish.blogspot.com/2011/01/hunger-mind-mapping.html Mind map that links
four ideas of the Knut Hamsun's novel Hunger: Existentialism, Christianity, Hamsun, and
Literary Features.
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
What’s
In a
Name?
Unique Identity
Universal Readability
Still comes down to
fundamentals!
File Naming Best Practices!
Filenames can be problematic when sharing files between platforms and
systems.
• Mac allows certain symbols in filenames that Windows does not
• For files on the web, spaces are replaced with %20 in URLs
“A filename you can easily read.doc” =
A%20filename%20you%20can%20easily%20read.doc”
• In general, try to stay away from spaces as well as the
following characters: \ / : * ? “ < > | [ ] & $
To chronologically sort files based on date, use a YEAR-MONTH-DAY
format along with a 4 digit year as opposed to a 2 digit year. For
example, 20110413.jpg instead of 04132011.jpeg.
http://www.damlearningcenter.com/street-smarts/file-naming-best-practices-for-digital-asset-management/
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
What do you
want to know
from your files?
Scans- Land
Deeds
Search/Query:
Which deeds show Martin?
Which deeds show Big Creek?
Which deeds were filed 1907?
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
File Naming Best Practices!
•
•
•
Be consistent
Create a naming
convention
Document it
(readme)!
Record Type Abbreviation Key:
DR (death record)
CR (census record)
MR (marriage record)
BR (birth record)
MT (military record)
CD (city directory)
PR (property records)
IMG (photo)
FS (family sheet)
File names within member folders:
yyyyRTST-ZimonskiMartin001.xxx
RT(record type abbrev) ST(state abbrev)
Naming convention:
For surname or group folders, use the
the spelling most commonly known
For individual files – use the spelling
as seen on that document – tag the
document with the common spelling.
Husbandsurname-Wifemaidenname
(if couple or group)
SurnameFirstname (if individual)
If repeated names – use middle
SurnameFirstnameMiddle
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
File Naming Best Practices!
Search/Query:
Which deeds show Martin?
Which deeds show Big Creek?
On which deed is Martin listed
as a widower?
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
MichiganArchives
OscodaCounty
Metadata
As Filing System
What is metadata and
why should you care?
LandDeeds
Libre0011882
http://helpx.adobe.com/bridge/using/metadata-adobe-bridge.html
http://helpx.adobe.com/bridge/using/metadata-adobe-bridge.html#import_metadata_into_a_document
Scans- Land
Deeds
Context
Content
Identity
Search/Query:
Which deed shows Martin
as “widower”?
Which deeds show Big Creek?
Tags: widower; Big Creek Township;
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
Keep your tags with your documents!
Considerations:
OS-specific
Application-specific
Dropbox?
Google Drive?
Evernote?
DevonThink
Webspace?
Etc.
Mac to Windows?
Windows to Mac?
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
OCR
PDF vs. Image File
Not necessarily efficient for a
large batch; should be a
consideration at the time of
collection.
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
Tools for that!
• OS tagging
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/tag-your-files-for-easier-searches-inwindows-7/4024
Within specific apps
(Acrobat, Bridge, Photoshop, Word )
• Batch conversion
Adobe Acrobat Pro
AdobeBridge
• Batch-renaming
http://www.sherrodcomputers.com/products_filerenamer_download.cfm (Windows)
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/33659/rename (Mac)
• Batch-tagging
AdobeBridge
MetadataTouch:
http://www.digitalconfidence.com/MetadataTouch.html
• DevonThink, Evernote, Zotero
“File Management Best Practices” Carla Zimowsk – Productive Scholar, Princeton University 3-27-2014
File Management
Best Practices
Observations from the History Department
Carla Zimowsk
czimowsk@princeton.edu
Technology Manager
Princeton University History Department