Archiving tips

You know, I named this blog "An Archivists Miscellania," but I have yet to actually say anything about archives. So, today I will provide some tips that can help save you and your descendants some time and trouble.

1. Label your stuff: This goes for everything you want to save/identify in the future, including pictures, computer files, and paper files. If your child can't identify those people in that picture, it will be useless, even if one of the scruffy little boys grew up to be someone interesting, or just their grandfather. Computer files easily disappear if they are not well-labeled. It helps if the file name is related to the contents, and if you fill out the "Properties" field (found under the file tab in Word) with some pertinent details. Dates are always good. The same goes for paper records - if your taxes are filed in a clearly labeled file, and you get audited, they will be much less stressful to find than if they are in a box labeled "old stuff." For your own personal records, there is no right or wrong way to label, but the idea is to make everything accessible and usable.
   
2. Don't write on the photos when you identify the people in them. This ruins the picture for future generations, and will contribute to its general deterioration. There is no such thing as an archivally safe writing implement. Instead, you can photocopy the picture and write on that, or use a slip of paper that you can keep with the picture.
3. Don't glue photos into an album. Don't use double-sided tape. Don't use those "magnetic" photo albums. Do I really need to explain why?
4. If you intend to become a famous writer someday, and are producing lots of drafts and unpublished manuscripts, for the sanity of your archivist - label them! Give us a title, a date range that you were working on the draft, the order of the drafts, something or anything that will help us organize your papers. You don't need to change the way you work i.e. don't alter the original order, but once in a while, sort through the papers and leave some clues.
   
5. Don't store your papers in the bathroom. It has been known to happen. As have the various water-related mishaps that occur in bathrooms. Besides being kind of gross, the water can severely damage your materials and encourage mold and insect damage.
   

There. That should do it for today. Just remember, if you want to save it, label it!