[78-L] How do you organize your collection?

[Cary Ginell]

It actually depends entirely on how you wish to retrieve them. For myself, I find it easier to file them by 1) Genre, 2) Artist, 3) Label, 4) Record Number. There are some artists that might fit neatly into more than one category (Josh White, Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte), but for the most part, this makes it easy to find things. The only category that I would file any other way would be classical, which I file strictly by record label and catalog number. Too many classical albums have more than one composer or style of music on them to make sense using any other method. I got this idea from the KFAC record library, which was meticulously filed by label (I love seeing all the maroon Angel spines in a row). I use Filemaker for my database and am able to cross-reference everything so that if there is a minor artist buried on an LP somewhere, I will be able to find it. In the case of 78s pr 45s with different artists on each side, I file by whichever one is designated as the "A" side, and if there is no such designation, than the one with the earlier recording date or whichever artist is more prominent in my collection.
 
I'm sure everyone has a different method, but this has worked for me for 40 years. Find one that you are comfortable with and go for it.
 
Cary Ginell
 

> From: michael.valentiner at gmail.com
> Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:29:41 -0500
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: [78-L] How do you organize your collection?
> 
> I'm considering re-organizing my collection of 5000 or so records. Is there any one system considered best practice? How do you organize your collection?
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> Michael Valentiner
> michael.valentiner at gmail.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
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