Cleaning up shared drives can feel overwhelming for records managers. File shares often grow organically over many years, resulting in cluttered folder structures, duplicate files, and uncertainty about what should be kept, archived, or deleted. This hands-on workshop will walk participants through two practical approaches to shared drive cleanup: a manual review process and a process supported by specialized software tools.

Danielle Hall, Records Manager, Kansas State University, will share the manual method she used to begin cleaning up her organization’s shared drives. She will walk through what prompted the project, why the team chose to begin with a manual approach, and what she learned during the process. Her portion will address common concerns people face when starting a cleanup effort, including hesitation to delete files and confusion about what qualifies as a record versus what can be safely removed. Danielle will introduce the simple framework she used to review files, identify ROT (redundant, obsolete, and trivial content), apply retention rules in a practical way, and reorganize disorganized folder structures into something more usable. She will also demonstrate the process using a sample “messy” folder and walk through how she makes real-time decisions to keep, archive, or delete files. Throughout the session, she will highlight lessons learned, including what took longer than expected, common patterns seen across departments, and what she would approach differently in future projects.

Kelly Murphy, Records Administrator, Trinity River Authority, will present a complementary approach that incorporates a software tool to assist with shared drive cleanup. While much of the review process remains manual, the tool provides additional visibility and reporting that can help organizations understand what exists in their file shares and identify candidates for deletion. Kelly will discuss how she evaluated and selected a tool, how she obtained stakeholder buy-in, and how she encouraged user participation in the cleanup effort. She will also show examples of the reports generated by the software and explain how those reports help guide the manual review process used to identify files ready for deletion or subject to retention requirements.

This workshop will include several interactive, hands-on activities. Participants will work through examples that mirror real-world shared drive challenges, including identifying ROT records, developing practical naming conventions, and reorganizing confusing folder structures. These activities will allow attendees to practice the same decision-making processes demonstrated by the presenters and consider how the approaches could be applied in their own organizations.

This pre-conference workshop will benefit attendees by providing practical, real-world strategies for tackling shared drive cleanup projects that often feel overwhelming. File share cleanups can impact nearly every employee in an organization, and records managers may struggle with where to begin or how to gain support for the effort. Through two real project examples—one manual and one tool-assisted—attendees will see how shared drive cleanup initiatives can start small and build momentum over time. The presenters will share replicable approaches that other organizations can adapt, including methods for identifying ROT records, applying retention rules, engaging stakeholders, and organizing file structures in ways that support both usability and compliance. By participating in hands-on exercises, attendees will leave the session with practical experience in reviewing files, making defensible decisions about retention and deletion, and developing clearer folder structures and naming conventions. Participants will gain confidence in how to begin a cleanup project within their own agencies and take the first steps toward more organized, manageable, and compliant shared drives.