[Libs-Or] Classification Scheme for your staff Computer Files?

[John Goodyear]

Alright, I think this should be safe to do.  Here's a screen capture of 
our file storage top level directory structure.  Of course we aren't 
public facing the way most of you are so ours will probably be more 
administrative, but the principles should hold up.  There's no absolute 
right or wrong but the proof is in the useability.

First rule is NOTHING lives on a workstation.  It's okay to compose 
there but it quickly needs to move to common ground.  That is one of my 
pet peeves, no excuse.  NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.

The second object is to NOT base these on workflows.  I don't know my 
admin assistants' workflow that well and when she followed that pattern 
I could never find anything. Now that she's gone I'm glad we cleaned 
up.  My concept is to pretend it's all for a novice with no preconceived 
idea of where to look.  Base it on functional areas, think of it as an 
index or TOC.  If you want to build a workflow folder, that can be done 
with shortcuts to the files you want to include.

Notice there is an Office Template folder.  All the departmental MS 
Office templates are supposed to be there, and then Office programs are 
pointed there to find the templates.

Even though there is a Personnel folder, that's not the secret stuff, 
just the publicly available info.

We also have a separate archival section that more or less mirrors this 
structure.  We move old business there to preserve it and get it out of 
the immediate working area.  I often lament that our historical files 
don't go back that far.  I intend to keep about everything digitally.  
If we have project time I'd like to scan old (2003 and before) documents 
for digital storage.  And there's oddball stuff, files that float to the 
top level for lac of attention or obvious home.

Hopefully this will help.



John Goodyear
CCRLS
503-315-4584
www.ccrls.org

On 5/4/2015 12:17 PM, Sue Ludington wrote:
>
> Thanks very much for posing the question, Adam!
>
> It may be too involved to share easily in an email but, John, I too 
> would love to hear what worked for CCRLS. Would you consider posting 
> for all, or prefer those of us who are interested to contact you directly?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Sue
>
> *Sue Ludington*
>
> Assistant Law Librarian
>
> Washington County Law Library
>
> 111 NE Lincoln St., MS #45
>
> Hillsboro, OR 97124
>
> 503.846.8880 | sue_ludington at co.washington.or.us 
> <mailto:sue_ludington at co.washington.or.us>
>
> *From:*Libs-Or [mailto:libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] *On 
> Behalf Of *John Goodyear
> *Sent:* Monday, May 04, 2015 12:00 PM
> *To:* libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
> *Subject:* Re: [Libs-Or] Classification Scheme for your staff Computer 
> Files?
>
> We have put A LOT of effort in to that Adam.  Would be glad to show 
> you and discuss.
>
> John Goodyear
> CCRLS
> 503-315-4584
> www.ccrls.org  <http://www.ccrls.org>
>
> On 5/4/2015 11:49 AM, Adam Carlson wrote:
>
>     Hello,
>
>     Our library has a shared networked drive for staff. It includes
>     thousands of files that we all use and share with each other. It
>     is, however, in need of better organization. We often times find
>     ourselves searching high and low for a file that we know is on the
>     shared drive, but we cannot find. Or we end up finding multiple
>     versions of the same file in different locations.
>
>     At a staff meeting the other day we were recognizing that we need
>     to try to come up with a better way of organizing staff files.
>     Librarians should be great at coming up with a “classification
>     scheme” for this.
>
>     We will, of course, be brainstorming and researching this. But we
>     thought we would ask all of you.  Do you have any ideas on good
>     ways to organize staff files? Are there ways that have worked well
>     or not for you in the past? Are there file naming conventions you
>     have used that help? Has this topic been covered in previous
>     posts? Are there any articles or websites you would recommend on
>     this topic?
>
>     Thank you for any ideas you might have,
>
>     *Adam Carlson*
>
>     Circulation Supervisor
>
>     McMinnville Public Library
>
>     (503) 435-5556
>
>
>
>
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