Binding Clip Filing
Organization

Binder Clip Filing

Sometimes traditional filing systems are not the most efficient way to handle papers…especially if you are cycling through papers rapidly. Today we will talk about an alternative: binder clip filing.

Corralling Paper – Traditionally

Most productivity systems will tell you that you need to create a filing system. They say to make folders and keep the current projects handy, and put the long-term information somewhere else.

Paper files require that you have file folders on hand, and some place to keep those files when not in use. This can be a good solution if you are working in the same place, and the files are in use for a significant amount of time.

But what happens if you turn paper around more frequently, or you only need to hang onto the paper for a day or so? You could put them in a bin, but that is just a good way to lose things.

Enter Binder Clip Filing.

What Is A Binder Clip?

I have heard these things go by all sorts of names, from binder clips to butterflies to bullfrogs. Here is a picture of what I am talking about:
BinderClip
I’ve chosen to call them binder clips because that is what they are called on the box.

Using Binder Clips As An Alternative

I discovered this method in my classroom. I would do my class photocopying the week before, and clip the pages together by class. I would then put them in a box and pull out the packet I needed.

I also used this for groups of papers that needed to be graded. I would collect them, clip them together, and then transport them as a group.

I found that binder clips worked better in these scenarios than folders because 1) I was moving the papers around and folders had a tendency to spill papers and 2) having one generic folder wasn’t good enough; sometimes I had three or four clipped piles for each class that needed to be graded.

Customizing Binder Clips

One of the things I did with the binder clips was customize them. With a roll of Washi tape, I put the tape on the flat part of the clip and wrote the class or block name on them.

And a picture is worth 1000 words in this case:
BinderClipCustom

Advantages of Binder Clips

There are a few advantages of binder clips over traditional files.

  1. I could move groups around without anything getting disconnected. Losing student papers is a terrible thing. Clipping them meant everything was together.
  2. No one could slip anything in easily. (Yes, students tried to turn in late homework this way, hoping to avoid the 50% penalty)
  3. I could glance at the clip and know exactly what block it was for. I didn’t have to try and find the tab on the folder.

Binder Clip Filing In The Office

I found myself thinking about this at it applies to the standard office. Since I generally had five to six projects going on at the same time, I had file folders for each of the projects. If I was moving between client sites, these files got transported, but even when I had a single client, I still had a stack of folders. Binder clips would have been easier to use to separate these papers.

I will definitely be implementing this at my next job.

Conclusion

Binder clips can be a nice alternative to file folders if you are rapidly cycling through paper, or need to move papers around. They can easily be customized to suit your needs.

What do you think? Do you have any alternative filing methods? Share below.