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File and Folder Naming Guidelines

Use this baseline structure:

ID_Title_Date

Practical example:

ms190-02-003_smith-john_title-of-article_19970224_p001.jpg
Part What it means Example
ID Unique identifier before the first underscore ms190-02-003
Title Brief title (1-3 words), author last-name-first if needed smith-john_title-of-article
Date Date in YYYYMMDD, partial allowed 19970224
Sequence Optional page/scan/item segment p001

Core Rules

1. Case

Use all lowercase (or use CamelCase consistently). File extensions must be lowercase.

2. Allowed characters

Use letters, numbers, dashes, and underscores only.

Do not use spaces or special characters such as:

\ / : * ? " < > | % + & @ ^ ~ # ! { } [ ] ( ) ; = ’ ` , .

3. Separators

  • Use underscores between major parts: ID_Title_Date
  • Use dashes within words: doe-john

4. Date format

Prefer ISO-style dates:

  • YYYYMMDD (preferred for filenames)
  • YYYY-MM-DD (acceptable in some contexts)
  • Use _nd if undated

5. Zero-padding and sequencing

  • Use zero-padding for sort order (001, not 1)
  • Use p for page numbers (p001)
  • Use s for scan numbers
  • If you may exceed 999 items, increase padding (0001, 0002, ...)

6. Length

Aim for fewer than 50 characters in the filename itself when possible. Remember Windows path limits include the full path, not just the filename.

7. Names and authors

Use last-name-first format:

doe-john

8. Consistency

Keep naming conventions consistent across the entire project.

Common Abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning Example
p Page number p001
s Scan number s001
a Access copy letter_a.jpg
b Box number b01
f Folder number f03
i Item number i002
v Periodical volume v01
n Periodical issue number or for "notched" in VDT Photo Index n01
nd No date report_nd.pdf
pt Part pt2

Examples

ms151-003_newsletter-title_v01n01_19790212_p001.jpg
ca002-001_grady-county_item-title_2021a.pdf
ua16-2-4_basketball_delta-state_19961022.jpg
ms130_b01f03i002_item-title_p241.tif

ms130_b01f03i002_item-title_p241.tif means: Collection ms130, Box 1, Folder 3, Item 2, plus title and page 241.

Final Format Reminder

  • Save JPEG files as .jpg (not .jpeg)
  • Keep extensions lowercase
  • Validate naming patterns before batch ingest or upload

Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, 2024 (v2.0)