Are file folders and holders obsolete?

[CTyankee]

They take up a lot of space (when space is limited) and you only need enough to hold your important documents that you must have paper copies of.

We just moved from a house to a small apartment and space is limited. I noticed folder after folder of research documents I did years ago on my art projects.

Your thoughts?

[Tetrachloride]

1. Keep the art. Toss 90 % of the essays after a quick scan.

[CTyankee]

3. They are in books (and that's another discussion). I've been asked "why not an e- book."

Well, they are art books. If I can put it into an e book I would, but I worry about the reproduction of the art itself. Will it look beautiful in an e book?

[PJMcK]

2. Not in my office/studio

I still have tons of paperwork that must be filed for use or reference. I use two file cabinets.

Yeah, it’s array but it’s required.

[CTyankee]

4. I realize that is necessary to have some paper documents.. What is your profession?

[PJMcK]

7. Music

I’m a writer, producer, publisher, pianist, conductor and general scam-artist!

Seriously, I have lots of contracts, music scores, etc. and digitizing them is not really practical. So I got two beautiful wooden lateral file cabinets and then I throw out stuff as it gets old or irrelevant.

How about you?

[bamagal62]

5. I use them

In my art studio.

[CTyankee]

6. What do you keep in them?

[bamagal62]

11. I mostly keep

Resource photos for paintings, notes from classes I’ve taken, inspiration ideas, etc etc.

[LogDog75]

8. Digitize documents that are no longer required to keep

I still use folders and hanging file folders for routine documents like utility bills, car repairs, credit card bills, etc.. I've been retired for 22 years so I don't have to worry about any work documents. I've scanned my tax records from the mid-70s to the present and keep them on two separate hard drives.

If your artwork can fit on a scanner, then that's the way to go. If it's larger, take a digital picture of it and store it on a hard drive.

[Old Crank]

9. Depending on the document.

For US taxes you only need the last 7 years. (Unless your filings are fraudulent.)
My taxes are now kept digitally so that keeps the paper down to a dull roar. I do keep hard copies of the documentation for only 7 years.
I would digitize most everything else. If you set up a reasonable file system you can search electronically much faster.
Art work. That becomes a problem. I still have a lot of my photography around and am working on that issue.
I have a multiterra byte drive and backup system to put stuff on. A cloud based system might be better.

good luck.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Those are the backups to my hard disks.

They also work when the power is down, no problems.

[Rizen]

12. No I still use them...

There are a lot of important papers like my glasses prescription, my lease and the car title.

[OldBaldy1701E]

13. I have three.

One has music things. one has important papers, and one has all the trappings to make covers for various media.

Maybe in the future, but for now there is no way I can be completely 'digital'... nor would I want to be.