card catalogs by bfurlong via flickr

I will always say that it’s better to have more footage and photos than not enough. But there is one problem that many companies have uncovered – the hard way – about having an adequate library of materials, and that is finding what you need when you need it.

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing you have the image/footage you need, but not being able to find it. To solve this problem, you need a system of labeling every file, and recording it somewhere that makes it easy to search.

When organizing your library:

• Create a name/number for each reel/disc. This can be as simple as “Disc 1,” “Reel 2.”
• Make sure each tape/disc is labeled so that the number is easily visible, and permanent.
• For each reel/disc, create an excel file with set data fields (so you can sort to find what you need). Categories that should be included in the data fields are:
  • Tape/Reel number
  • Brief description of the image
  • Date image was taken
  • You may also want to consider:
    • Expanded description
    • Key words (tags for easy search)
    • Client, product, or project for which the image was taken
• Make sure the database is accessible to anyone who may need to update it.

It’s easiest if you set up your library this way from the start. Then, you just have to get into the habit of updating every time you add images/files. But if you already have a library and you don’t have your Dewey Decimal System in order, you’ll need to go through all your old files to organize it. This is a great task for interns.

Some additional advice: digital makes things easier – you can store your videos and images electronically and save space. If you’re keeping your files electronically, you’ll want to make sure you name each file with the information that you’d have put in the data fields of the excel sheet, as well as use well-named folders so that sorting and finding images is easier. Make sure you’ve got a back-up digital copy, too. External hard drives are great for this. And just to be safe, keeping the hard copies off-site, with that same excel database to organize the library is still a good idea.