A student librarian's organizational scheme

While dismantling my organization system for my last semester of library school, I thought I would make some notes about what worked for me, to give ideas for other students to try or to modify to suit their own styles.

Accordion files. I had an accordion file for each class. I liked this style from Smead the best. I had a different color for each class. Here is how I labeled the pockets:

• Front. I put the syllabus and course schedule in the front pocket that doesn't have a tab.


• This week. In the first tabbed pocket, I put things that I was supposed to read this week, assignments that I was working on or that needed to be turned in this week, and notes to myself about things that I wanted to discuss with the teacher or classmates (whether or not it was about classwork).


• Readings. This is where I put the assigned readings for class after I read them.


• Handouts. This is where I put the things we were given in class. For on-line classes, I labled this section Lectures and put the printed lectures here after I read them (before I read them, they were in the This Week section).


• Discussion Boards. This is where I stored the question prompts that the teacher put on the on-line discussion board. I found it helpful to print those because I would often forget the question while I was reading other students' responses and composing my own. I occasionally printed a response, my own or someone else's, and they went in this section, too.


• Assignments. This is where I put the descriptions of assignments when I was done with them. Until I was done, they either were in the This Week section or the assignment section below.


• Each assignment. The next few pockets were labeled with the name of each assignment in the class. For example, the Management class accordion file had pockets labeled: Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, Case Study, and Final Project. I gathered notes in these while I was working on assignments and also put a copy of the completed assignment here when I handed it in and a copy of the graded assignment when I got it back. Teachers lose things sometimes, so it's always a good idea to keep copies.


• Notebook. I slipped a 70-page spiral notebook (in a color to match the accordion file) in the back pocket for notes taken during class sessions. That way, when it was time for class, I could throw the whole accordion file in my bag and know that I had everything I needed related to that class, including a place to take notes.

Shelves. I assigned each class a shelf in my book case. This is where the accordion file went when I wasn't using it, where the textbook was shelved, and where the library CDs were stacked that I chose for each class (see this post for a description of how I music-coded my classes). I also put any library or other books that I gathered for various assignments for the class on the class shelf. If I were in a hurry, I sometimes threw papers on the shelf to be filed later in the accordion file. One advantage to having a shelf assigned to each class was that if my organization system failed during the semester, I still had one shelf to throw everything related to that class and one shelf to search through to find stuff that didn't get put away more appropriately.

Color-coding. The color for each class was set by the accordion file and notebook. I used this pack of Razor Point Pilot Pens to create color-coded mind maps, calendars, and lists that helped me with planning during the semester. Highlighters, post-it notes, and index cards in class colors were also occasionally useful.

Starting a class checklist. Of course, I needed to set this all up at the beginning of each semester, so I had a checklist to follow that went something like this:

• Choose the class color.


• Set up accordion file and notebook.


• Choose a shelf for the class.


• Create a folder on my computer for the class.


• Choose the musical theme for each class and request CDs from the library (one could also download the music and create playlists).

I would usually do those things before the first class. Once I had the syllabus for each class in hand, I could do more items on the checklist. I usually did these calendar-related items the first weekend after classes began:

• Put class meeting dates and times on my calendar.


• Put assignment due dates on my calendar.


• Label pockets in the class accordion file for each assignment.


• Create an ideal week schedule (color-coded, of course) allocating several hours each week to spend on each class. I usually allocated specific times when I would read for upcoming classes, usually the day or two before the class meeting, and times when I would work on assignments, usually as soon as possible after I expected to receive them. I rarely followed my schedules to the letter, but it helped me be aware of when I was and was not devoting enough time to each class.


• Create a color-coded mind map with the assignments and due dates for all classes so that I can see them all on one page. This would help me discover potential problems like assignments that are due in the same week so that I could make plans to address those problems.

Ending a class checklist. I also found it helpful to systematically dismantle the previous semester's class organization, clearing space for the next semester. Here's that checklist (and it's what I'm doing today):

• Check my grades on-line.


• Empty the accordion file (most of them could be re-used several semesters). Move important papers (assignments, lectures, any readings that I want to keep) and my notebook to a file for the class in the file cabinet.


• Move the folder for the class on my computer to the MLS folder in the ARCHIVES folder on my computer.


• Consider whether I want to put copies of any class assignments in my physical portfolio or in my web portfolio.


• Move the textbooks. I kept all mine, but I at least considered selling them before I reshelved them to a library reference shelf on my bookcase.

Questions? More ideas of your own? Send them to joy at mollprojects dot com. If you send me something regarding this post, I will assume that you intend for me to put it up on the web, so be sure to let me know if you consider the correspondence private.     #

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