Creating a meaningful title for an archival folder is a critical skill for any archivist or records manager. The purpose of the title is to allow users to quickly identify the content of the folder without having to look at all the records within it. This sounds easy, but archivists and records managers are often guilty of creating folder titles that are either too general (“Documents”) or too specific (“A summary of letters and memos received in regard to the construction of the new wing of the library”). An ideal folder title provides enough information to identify the content of the folder without going into unnecessary detail.
In general, folder titles include references to the activity, topic, person, project, or record type that ties the records together. For example, if a folder contains correspondence regarding a building renovation, a title such as “Correspondence Re Building Renovation” will be more useful than simply “Letters.” If the correspondence can be dated, you might include that information as well: “Correspondence Re Building Renovation, 2018-2019”. The point is that the folder title should not necessarily be pretty; it should be informative and indicate the relationship between the records.
A complicating factor arises when a folder already has a title written on the folder itself. What do you do when you inherit a folder that already has a handwritten label? Before re-titling the folder, transcribe the original title. The original label might have been applied by the original creator of the records and thus reflects the way that the records were used. Furthermore, the original title might be important to the order of the records. Even if the title is awkward, it might convey useful information about the nature of the folder’s content. If the folder requires a title to fit into a more formal inventory or finding aid, you can describe the folder under the new title but retain the original title in your notes or metadata.
Here’s an exercise. Take five sample folders containing records. Take enough time to read the records so that you can understand what ties them together, then write a short title for each folder. Compare your titles. Did you give all folders the same format for the dates? Did you use consistent terminology? Did you include information about the content of the folder that is not really there? Comparing folder titles to one another will highlight problems much faster than looking at them individually.
Be careful not to turn guesswork into fact. If a folder contains pictures of an event, don’t invent a title for it if you don’t know when and where the event took place. Rely on the information you have in the folder and feel free to indicate uncertainty where needed. Description is most effective when another researcher can tell the difference between what is certain and what is unknown.
Folder titles are just one part of the archival description process. Other elements like reference codes, series-level descriptions, and storage locations play a role. It’s not necessary to repeat this information in your folder title. For example, if the series level description tells you that the records belong to a financial administration sub-series, then individual folder titles can be restricted to the topic of the folder without referencing finances. Creating a hierarchy of descriptive elements will make it less burdensome to create folder titles that convey all the necessary information.
As you review a folder title, ask yourself if it will help you locate the folder months down the road. If another researcher has a copy of the inventory and needs to find that folder, will the title provide enough information to find it without reading several other folders? If not, then revise your title until it accurately describes the contents of the folder in a concise and defensible manner.
