Tuesday Tip: Give Your Digital Files Names With Meaning and Don't Delay Doing It

Tuesday's Tip 
Remember to give each file a name that clearly identifies what is in that file!
 
So you visited a library, archive or a relative and captured lots images of documents, photos or things using a device(s) like your camera, tablet, smart phone or a digital recording device supplied by the library/archive. You may have the ability to name the file as you capture it but often you don't have that option and now you have a lot of files with names like:

20140424121116647_0002.jpg 
IMG_0353.jpg
Scan_02.jpg 
01.jpg
DSCN0001.jpg

And honestly, those names don't mean anything when you're trying find the answer you know is on your computer somewhere.

You likely have these files in a folder (or a few) ... likely named for that research trip or date of the trip. If you're lucky maybe (just maybe) you took the time to sort those files into sub-folders that tell you what book you scanned. But more often you arrived home and other matters became the priority so your files sit in the same state they were downloaded to your computer.

Now how do you know what you have? And how do you find it? You don't without a lot of opening and closing of files or viewing folder contents using the large or extra-large icons view.

Simply, you have to carve out a little time here and there to rename those files and organize them in a way that you understand so you can find them when you need them.  There are a variety of naming and organization methods. Find one that works for you and make it a practice to schedule some time to do this right after you return ... not years later.
 
See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE