Field Notes

Articles drawn from twelve years of on-site labeling visits — written for households and small offices managing physical records.

Choosing a Prefix System That Still Makes Sense in Five Years

The most common mistake we see during initial consultations is a prefix scheme that runs out of room. A client labels drives D1, D2, D3 and then buys a batch of identical drives that all need labels on the same afternoon. Suddenly D1 through D15 exist and nobody remembers whether D7 is the tax drive or the photo backup.

Start with typed prefixes, not numbers alone

A prefix like DRV- immediately tells you the item category when you glance at a spine label in a dim closet. Pair it with three-digit numbers (DRV-001, DRV-002) and you have headroom for 999 items in that category before needing a new prefix.

Full details →

Where to Place Labels on External Hard Drives Without Covering Vents

During tagging sessions, clients often ask whether a label on the top surface will trap heat. For most consumer external drives, the answer depends on where the ventilation slots are — and every model differs.

Read the drive before sticking anything

Turn the drive over and locate vent openings, seam gaps, and rubber feet. On many 2.5-inch USB drives, the top surface is solid plastic with no vents — an ideal label location. On larger 3.5-inch desktop drives, vents often run along the sides or rear panel. We never place labels over vent openings.

Full details →

Maintaining a Wallet Register When Contents Change Monthly

A wallet audit produces a snapshot — accurate on the day of the visit. But wallets are living containers. Receipts arrive, contracts expire, certificates get moved to the safe. Without a simple update habit, the register drifts out of sync within months.

Update on entry, not on schedule

We advise clients to update the register when they add or remove something — not during a monthly review they will skip. Keep a pencil clipped to the register page. When you file a new receipt batch, add one line: date, general category, approximate count. When you remove items for shredding, strike the line.

Full details →