Western - File Management and Archiving

Effective file management helps maintain server space, improve organization, and ensure compliance with records retention policies. By regularly reviewing, organizing, deleting unnecessary files, and archiving older data, staff can keep systems efficient and accessible.

This guide provides file management and archiving best practices for CCE staff in the Western NY region. It covers where to store files, how to organize folders, naming conventions, and steps for cleanup and archiving.

Training Resources

CCE recorded training:

• File Management and Archiving - Recording | Presentation

File Management Best Practices

Effective file management helps maintain server space, improve organization, and ensure compliance with records retention policies. By regularly reviewing, deleting unnecessary files, and archiving older data, staff can keep systems efficient and accessible.

1. Know Where to Save Files and Consolidate Storage Locations
   Avoid saving files over multiple platforms whenever possible (Box, OneDrive, Google Drive, and the shared drives)
   
   The following file locations are listed in order of preference:
   1. Association shared drive (Preferred)
      • Association specific files and information
      • Program-related files specific to your Association
         
   2. Regional shared WSBN (X) drive
      • Information applicable to all employees across the Western Shared Business Network (WSBN) region
      • Program folders for programs operating across county lines within the region (i.e. X:\Programs\SNAP west)
      • Shared resources applicable across the region
         
   3. Group-owned Box folder (i.e. GROUP - CCE Monroe)
      Prefer use of group-owned Box folders for data retention, access and permissions.  Consult with your local and Lead IT for any questions or assistance.
      • Storage of large collections of photos or videos too large to keep on the shared drive
      • Cross-regional collaboration or collaboration with outside partners
         
   4. Google Drive (utilizing a Cornell Google Workspace account)
      NOTE: Requires requesting and setting up Google Workspace account tied to your NetID prior to saving/sharing files in Google Drive - do NOT create a personal Google account with your Cornell email address
      • Collaboration with outside partners already established in the Google Workspace
      • Not recommended for other purposes
         
   5. Local computer (your computer's Documents, Pictures, Videos)
      • Personnel related items - if your Association doesn't currently utilize staff folders
        Includes month-end forms, effort certifications, training completion certificates, performance reviews, etc.
      • Temporary files you need access to for offline work locations
        Example - Teaching at community center without secure internet connection. Save copy of presentation/materials to your computer desktop for the event, and then remove duplicate file after confirming original is saved on Association shared drive in appropriate folder
         
2. Follow regional established best practices for file organization and structure
   NOTE: Do not make major folder structure changes without consulting Lead IT, as permission settings depend on the structure.
   
   • Organize files in folders by program area (i.e. 4-H, Agriculture), then major categories (Classes/Events, subprograms/groups, communications/newsletters, etc), and then by year within those folders  (see 11 ideas for how to organize digital files)
     Example - CCE Wyoming (S):\4-H\_CLASSES AND EVENTS\2025 4-H Classes
     • This makes archiving at the end of the year much easier and facilitates organization in archival storage
        
   • File Naming Guidelines
     NOTE: Follow your Association's established pattern for naming of files - some may start or end the file name with date and program/category
     • Add descriptive files names or identifiers to photos and documents
     • Include year or date for events and meetings
       • Start or end with the date in YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY format.
     • Include the program name and a clear event descriptor.
     • Avoid using special characters (e.g., #, %, &).​​​​​​
       
       Example: 2025-08-11-Wyoming-Fair-MG-Booth
        
3. Regularly review content (see information below for Archiving)
   • Discard blurry or photos not used/needed
   • Discard duplicate drafts - for published content, recommend keeping the original working draft and then final published PDF for easy updating later if needed
   • Package publications - for documents and content created in Adobe Creative Cloud apps or video editing
     Package final product so all the necessary linked/embedded files, fonts and images are together and someone can open and be able to edit or reprint the file later
   • Rename files when needed
     Example - Each year has a Fair folder, and inside each Fair folder is an Auction brochure labeled "Auction brochure".  Rename to include some specifics like date or key descriptor (i.e. 2025 Meat Animal Auction brochure) for easier reference/access from archives

Archiving Best Practices

This section provides best practices for cleaning up and archiving files to free up space on the file server while ensuring compliance with records retention policies. It explains how to categorize files for deletion, retention, or archiving, and outlines steps for moving older data into designated archive folders for long-term storage.

Why Cleanup files?

We have a limited amount of space on the file server and need to make room for new files.

Be aware of records retention guidance and refer to your Association Records Retention policy and local Association Records Retention Officer with any questions.

• Form Code 1705 - Retention of Records
• NYSED Archives LGS-1 Records Retention Schedule
   

Who should do this?

We highly encourage all staff to take some time and go through current files, both on the shared drive and on your computer.

1. Take a look what’s on the server and on your computer
   You can mentally categorize your folders and files into three groups.
   • KEEP - Data that you need to have on the server, such as current projects you are working on, last year’s projects that you reference for information on a regular basis, recent meeting minutes, recent photos
   • DELETE - Data that no longer needs to be on the server or saved at all, such as out-of-focus pictures, old rough drafts, copies/duplicates of articles that were placed in newsletters.  (Items that DON’T fall under data retention requirements.)
   • ARCHIVE - Data that is older (typically anything more than 3 years old), such as newsletters, photos, meeting minutes, spreadsheets that you no longer need to access on a regular basis but either need to keep for data retention requirements and/or would like to keep in long-term backup storage.
      
2. Delete
   • Now that you’ve looked through what’s on the server and on your local computer, you should have a good idea of what you can just delete.   So go ahead!  Clean up.  You can do this in stages, a bit at a time while you are working on different projects, or set aside a day for yourself to do this cleanup all at once.
   • If you run into an issue where you’ve accidentally deleted something you shouldn’t have – reach out to cce-western-helpdesk@cornell.edu right away and we can help you restore it. 
      
3. Archive
   • What is Data Archiving?
     Data archiving is the process of moving data that is no longer actively used to a separate storage device for long-term retention.
   • Archive data consists of older data that is still important to the organization and may be needed for future reference, as well as data that must be retained for regulatory compliance.  BUT this data is rarely referenced and doesn’t need to be actively available on the server anymore.
   • You may have noticed folders called “_READY TO BE ARCHIVED” within your shared drive. These folders are where you can move your files that are ready to be archived.  Whenever you run across old folders and files, you can simply move them into this “_READY TO BE ARCHIVED” folder. 

Helpful Tip:

• BE DESCRIPTIVE WITH YOUR FOLDER AND FILE NAMES!  If you need to pull something from the archive, it’s much easier to find if the photos and/or files have descriptive names.
  EX. RENAME ‘IMG_2086’ to ‘2021-02-24 Game of Logging’ or ‘Game of Logging - 2024-02-24 - Instructor Joe Bob Smith’ 

 

When?

There’s no better time to start than right now!

At the end of January, WSBN IT will archive any folders and files found in the “_READY TO BE ARCHIVED” folders.   

• Once archived, the folders and files will no longer be on the server (giving us more space for future files!) but will still be retrievable once archived.  If you need access at a later date, send an e-mail request to cce-western-helpdesk@cornell.edu.

You don’t need to wait until a specific time of year to move files and folders into the “_Ready to be archived” folders.  You can do your part anytime throughout the year.  Simply move any files ready to be archived into the “_READY TO BE ARCHIVED” folder. 

If you have any questions, please e-mail cce-western-helpdesk@cornell.edu or fill out the helpdesk form at http://westernhelpdesk.cce.cornell.edu.

Related information

• CCE Staff Site - Form Codes
  • CCE Staff Site - Form Code 1705 - Retention of Records
• NYS Archives 
  • NYS Archives - Local Government Schedule - LGS-1
  • NYS Archives - LGS-1 - Cooperative Extension Associations
  • Workshop Schedule | New York State Archives (nysed.gov)