Archives vs Collections

Understanding the difference between Archives and Collections is key to organizing your media effectively in Shoebox.

Archive: Your Complete Library

An archive is your complete multimedia library—the master collection of all your family's photos, videos, and audio recordings along with their metadata.

Characteristics

• Single Source of Truth: One master dataset containing everything
• Comprehensive: Includes all media files you want to preserve
• Richly Documented: Full metadata for people, dates, locations, sources
• Long-Term: Built and maintained over years or decades
• Portable: Entire directory can be moved, backed up, or shared

Example

My Family Archive
├── 5,000 photos spanning 1920-2025
├── 200 videos from family events
├── 50 audio recordings of interviews
└── Complete metadata in accessions.json

Use Cases

• Preservation: Safeguarding family memories for future generations
• Research: Genealogy and family history documentation
• Completeness: "Everything we have" in one place
• Master Reference: The canonical source for all media

Collection: A Curated Subset

A collection is a subset of items from your archive, selected for a specific purpose.

Characteristics

• Subset: Contains references to items, not duplicates
• Purpose-Driven: Created for specific themes, events, or people
• Non-Destructive: Doesn't modify the archive
• Shareable: Can be exported or shared independently
• Multiple: You can have many collections from one archive
• Flexible: Easy to create, modify, or delete

Example

Collection: "Grandma's 90th Birthday"
├── 45 photos from party
├── 3 videos of speeches
└── 2 audio recordings of stories
(All items exist in main archive)

Use Cases

• Events: Birthday parties, weddings, reunions
• People: "All photos of Grandpa," "Aunt Mary's life"
• Time Periods: "1950s photos," "Our Europe trip"
• Presentations: Selected highlights for slideshow
• Sharing: Subset for specific family members

Key Differences

Aspect	Archive	Collection
Size	Complete library	Subset of archive
Purpose	Preservation	Organization/Sharing
Scope	Everything	Specific theme
Files	Actual media files	References to items
Quantity	One per family/user	Many collections
Permanence	Long-term master	Temporary or themed
Metadata	Comprehensive	Inherits from archive

Working Together

Archives and Collections are complementary:

Archive (Master)
    ├── Collection: Family Reunions
    ├── Collection: Grandparents
    ├── Collection: 1980s Photos
    └── Collection: Vacation Memories

Workflow

1. Build Archive: Import all media, add metadata
2. Create Collections: Group items by theme/purpose
3. Use Collections: Slideshows, sharing, presentations
4. Maintain Archive: Continue adding items over time
5. Update Collections: Add new items to relevant collections

Creating Collections

From Main Window

1. Select items you want to include
2. Go to Collections > Create New Collection
3. Name your collection
4. Save

See Collections Feature Guide for detailed instructions.

When to Use What

Use Archive When:

• Starting from scratch
• Importing new media
• Adding comprehensive metadata
• Backing up everything
• Long-term preservation

Use Collections When:

• Preparing a slideshow for an event
• Sharing specific photos with family members
• Organizing themed photo sets
• Creating subsets for different purposes
• Presenting highlights

Real-World Example

Sarah's Archive

Archive: "Smith Family History"

• 10,000 photos (1900-2025)
• 500 videos
• 100 audio interviews
• Complete metadata for all items

Collections Created:

1. "Great-Grandparents": 200 items featuring GG-Ma and GG-Pa
2. "Family Reunion 2024": 150 items from recent reunion
3. "Dad's Military Service": 75 items from Dad's time in service
4. "Holiday Traditions": 300 items across all years showing holidays
5. "Digital Photo Frame": 500 favorites for auto-cycling display

Sarah maintains one archive but creates many collections for different purposes.

Technical Details

Storage

• Archive: Files in photo/, video/, audio/ directories + accessions.json
• Collection: JSON file listing item references (accession numbers)

Portability

• Archive: Copy entire directory structure
• Collection: Export as standalone package with selected items

Performance

• Archive: Can be very large (GBs or TBs)
• Collection: Lightweight (KBs), references only

Best Practices

Archive Management

• ✅ Back up regularly
• ✅ Add metadata as you import
• ✅ Use consistent file naming
• ✅ Document sources
• ✅ Organize chronologically first

Collection Strategy

• ✅ Create for specific purposes
• ✅ Name descriptively
• ✅ Keep manageable size (50-500 items typically)
• ✅ Delete when no longer needed
• ✅ Use for sharing, not storage

Common Confusion

Terminology

Some photo apps use "collection" to mean what we call an "archive." In Shoebox:

• Archive = Your complete library
• Collection = A themed subset

This documentation uses these terms consistently.

Next Steps

• Create your archive
• Learn about collections
• Understanding data structure

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Think of it this way: Your archive is your entire bookshelf, while collections are reading lists you create for different occasions.