Start with an inventory, not a new folder tree
Before renaming anything, list what the collection contains. You might have family photographs, scanned programmes, interviews, film transfers, digital camera images and notes about where each item came from. Record their current locations, including external drives and shared folders. This first pass helps you spot duplicates and files whose meaning depends on a folder name or an accompanying document.
Give each distinct item a stable identifier that does not rely on a description being correct. For example, a hypothetical collection could use SHC-0001 for one photograph and SHC-0002 for one programme. Keep a simple inventory with the identifier, a short description, format, known date or date range, source, rights information if known, and any uncertainties. An identifier links the file to that record; it does not claim that the item has been fully identified.
Make filenames predictable and readable
A useful filename begins with the item identifier, then adds information that helps distinguish the file’s role. Hypothetical examples are SHC-0001_master.tif, SHC-0001_web.jpg and SHC-0002_page-01_master.tif. If an item has several pages or parts, number them consistently and use leading zeros so they sort in order. Choose one style for separators, such as underscores between fields and hyphens within a field, and apply it across the collection.
Keep filenames short enough to read without opening a file. Avoid labels such as final, final2 or new, which lose meaning as work continues. Be cautious with dates and place names: if a photograph is only thought to show a particular village, put that interpretation in the inventory rather than treating it as a fact in the filename. Use only characters that work reliably across common devices and systems, and keep the file extension that identifies the format.
Separate originals from work in progress
Arrange folders around how files are handled rather than trying to fit every subject into a hierarchy. A small collection might have top-level folders named 01_originals, 02_working, 03_access and 04_records. Originals are the received digital files or first preservation-quality captures; working files are for editing, transcription or restoration; access files are copies prepared for viewing or sharing. Records can hold the inventory, permissions notes and documentation of your process.
Within each folder, group files by item identifier or by a manageable batch, and use the same approach consistently. Do not make a new folder for every possible theme, person and location. A single film clip could relate to several places and events, while a folder can sit in only one place. Record those relationships in the inventory instead. If you improve a scan or edit an interview, leave the original untouched and save the new version in the appropriate working or access folder.
Keep context alongside the files
A tidy filename cannot explain who donated a photograph, whether its caption was written at the time, or why an interview recording stops abruptly. Note such details in the inventory, distinguishing what is known from what has been inferred. For scanned items, keep track of the physical object and its location if it remains in your care. For audio and video, note whether a file is a camera original, a transfer from another medium or an edited sequence.
Write a short guide to your system and store it with the records. Explain the identifier pattern, folder purposes, filename fields and any abbreviations. This is especially valuable when volunteers share the work or someone else inherits the collection. Consider what should be available for public viewing and what may need restricted access, particularly where files contain private contact details or personal testimony. An access copy can have a different purpose from the preserved original without replacing it.
Change the system carefully, then maintain it
If files already have inconsistent names, do not rename the whole collection in one step. Make a copy or confirm you have a usable backup, choose a small batch, assign identifiers and update the inventory as you rename. Check that files still open and that any links from captions, transcripts or editing projects still point to the right material. Keep a record connecting old names to new ones until the change has been checked.
From then on, give each new item an identifier when it arrives and decide where its original belongs before making copies. Review the inventory periodically for missing descriptions, uncertain identifications and files stranded in temporary folders. Clear names and folders will not preserve a collection on their own: keep more than one copy in separate locations and check that you can retrieve and open important files. The aim is a system modest enough to maintain, yet clear enough for a future viewer to understand what survives and what is still unknown.
