Frequently asked questions
Questions readers send us most, about archiving paper at home and about the site itself.
Q.Do I need any formal training to start a personal archive?
No. Everything we describe on Foolscap is meant for someone with a shelf, a few boxes, and an afternoon. The vocabulary borrows from archival science, but the method scales down to a household without much trouble.
Q.What's the difference between filing and archiving?
Filing usually means putting a document somewhere so it can be found again next week. Archiving adds a layer on top — a call number, a retention plan, and a record of what happened to a document over years, not just where it sits today.
Q.How do I decide what to keep for seven years versus indefinitely?
Most households use a rough rule tied to how long a document could plausibly still matter — tax paperwork tends to follow a multi-year window, while certificates and deeds tend to stay indefinitely. We write about specific categories in the journal rather than giving one blanket number, since retention rules vary by document and by household.
Q.Should I organize by subject or by date?
We lean toward order of arrival — filing by when a document entered the archive — because subject categories tend to get renamed and reshuffled over the years, while an arrival date never changes. See Order of Arrival, Not Order by Topic for the longer case.
Q.What kind of folder holds up best over time?
Manila stock tends to hold its shape and resist tearing at the fold better than many lighter alternatives, though the folder is only part of the picture — how and where it's stored matters just as much. See Why the Manila Drawer Still Wins.
Q.Is it safe to store paper archives in a garage or attic?
It can work, but temperature swings and humidity in an uninsulated space tend to be harder on paper than a closet inside the living space. If a garage or attic is the only option, an airtight-ish container off the floor tends to help more than the container material itself.
Q.What causes old paper to turn brittle?
A mix of factors — the acidity of the original paper stock, light exposure, and fluctuating humidity all play a role. We go into more depth in What Actually Survives Seven Years in a Closet.
Q.How do I create a call number if I've never used one before?
Start with three parts: a series code, a sequence number, and the year it was assigned. Write it the same way on every folder from day one. The full walkthrough is in Writing a Call Number for a Home Archive.
Q.What should I do with documents I no longer need?
Log what left and why before it goes, even in one line. It sounds like extra work, but it's the only thing that prevents the "did we keep that or not" question a year later. See Keeping a Disposal Ledger.
Q.Can I mix digital scans with a paper archive?
Yes, and many households do — but we'd suggest keeping the ledger entry (call number, location, retention note) attached to the physical box regardless of whether a scan also exists, so the two systems don't drift apart.
Q.How often should I review a household archive?
Once a year is common, timed around whatever natural checkpoint already exists in a household — tax season, a move, or the start of a school year.
Q.What is Boxlist and how does it relate to Foolscap?
Boxlist is a companion app we built to log boxes, series, and call numbers without a spreadsheet. It follows the same method described on the journal, but it isn't required to use any of the ideas here. See the Boxlist page.
Q.Does Boxlist require a subscription?
The core ledger works entirely on your own device with no account required. Details are on the app page.
Q.How do I contact Foolscap with a correction or question?
Email hello@foolscap.shop. We read every message, and we note corrections on the entry they apply to rather than editing silently.