Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 164
•
Trim: 6 x 8¾
978-1-4422-7887-5 • Hardback • February 2017 • $40.00 • (£31.00)
978-1-5381-2623-3 • Paperback • February 2019 • $21.00 • (£15.99)
978-1-4422-7888-2 • eBook • February 2017 • $19.50 • (£14.99)
Melody Condron has worked in libraries for over eight years, and has managed many data organization projects both on the job and in her personal work with genealogy and history projects. Melody received a Master’s in Library Science with a focus in Information Organization from the University of North Texas, and a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies from Penn State.
This compact primer by librarian Condron outlines both the why and the how of approaching the mammoth task of organizing one’s digital life. In the preface, Cordon presents four simple, compelling reasons for taking on the project: loss avoidance, ease of sharing and collaboration, personal digital archiving, and ease of access during an emergency. The succeeding eight chapters systematically walk the reader through how to approach and execute the project. Chapters 1 and 2 are mandatory reading as they outline the guided assessment, or determining what you own and its value, and best practice for filenaming conventions and organizational structure. Readers may dip into the remaining chapters for tips specific to areas of interest, including legacy planning (your digital will), digital correspondence, photos, social-media accounts, legal documents, and other media. The short, straightforward chapters are broken up by useful illustrations, screenshots, and tips (Google Docs and backup files are not synonymous) and conclude with learning objectives or summary. Appendixes of blank forms and digital-archiving resources follow.— Booklist
Gone are the piles of boxes in the attic. Nowadays, our life is stored in multiple digital formats in dozens of different places–email, voicemail, music, photos, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, phones, tablets, CDs, and more. Do you know where your data is stored and do you care what happens to it all? That 's what this book is all about.... Thoughout the book the author reminds you to think about what you are keeping and wy. She makes suggestions, but leaves you to determine exactly what you want to do. If you have any interest in keeping your digital 'stuff,' this book will get you on the right path. The actual work is up to you.— Online Searcher
Managing the Digital You is an excellent tool for coping with the volume of incoming data that we all deal with on a daily basis. Encompassing subjects of correspondence, financial and legal documents, legacy planning, multimedia, nondigital documents, password protection, photos, and social media archiving, this resource provides a clear path to avoiding electronic mayhem. Creating a system for digital management means simplification of life; files are organized for finding, photos will be in order, useless information deleted. After the preface, eight chapters categorize topics on how to succeed in cleaning up and sorting your digital chaos. Chapters 1 and 2 provide readers with a logical place to begin and an assessment of individual needs. Beyond introductory information, later chapters are unambiguous with titles such as ‘Legal, Financial, and Medical Documents’ (chapter 3) or ‘Digital Photographs’ (chapter 5). Text is supported with figures and tables throughout, all black and white. Visuals are not eye-catching but provide the visual documentation necessary. Summaries and bibliographic notes conclude each chapter. Two appendixes provide additional resources and a brief index offers entry to subjects such as backup, disaster preparedness, and file formats. Google, Microsoft Office, Photoshop, and Twitter are just some of the platforms discussed in relation to organization. This title is one that most anyone should have on the shelf (or, yes, downloaded on your digital device!). Better yet, open it up, read a chapter, and get digitally organized! Highly recommended.— American Reference Books Annual
Managing the Digital You is targeted at individuals, but institutions and organizations will also find its practical advice to be very useful. One of the best features of the book is that while all the chapters fit together to create a comprehensive plan, each chapter is very useful on an individual level. Where was this book when I was first used a computer?— Samantha Pierson, Library Director, Coos Bay Public Library
Folders, floppy disks, flash drives - managing information has been a nuisance for decades. The 21st century added new challenges: texts on one device, emails on another, photos in the cloud. Managing the Digital You shows a practical way to rein in your data while keeping your sanity.— Elisabeth Kibler, Corporate Finance Professional and Human Living in the Information Age
By cleverly weaving professional best practices, and acknowledging that the digital you undoubtedly has personal habits for handling your stuff that are flexible, but not likely completely reversible, Melody Condron has created a valuable, contemporary guide for a more efficient, effective and vital digital life.— Theresa M. Gamble, Certified Records Manager, and Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional
Managing the Digital You is an excellent guide on digital asset management. A great resource for the general public and professionals alike, anyone from genealogists to librarians to nostalgic family members can benefit from Condron’s advice. This is a well-organized, simple to read how-to manual for managing existing and future digital items. While providing a general approach to personal digital archiving, this book also includes specifics, from password protection to multimedia conversion and even management of social media sites among other interesting tricks of the trade.
— Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association