Address Book Management

As you might expect, in running a letter writing organization, I have acquired a large amount of pen pals. This is great! It also means that my address book can be a messy place, and can be tricky to keep up-to-date.

First, I keep a paper address book. I like the physicality of it. Sure, it takes a little teeny bit longer to find an address than it would if I kept a digital book, but that is not enough to get me to switch. I use pencil for the entries. It makes it easy to update. I had a previous book in my college years which swiftly ran out of room where I'd have to cross out inked addresses and write in a new one. (Mind you, I enjoyed seeing the record of places people had been, but it wasn't really helpful as a reference tool after a while.) I keep small Post-It notes of the address on top of the address entry. That way, if I finish and seal a letter, I can stick the Post-It note on it until I'm ready to properly address and mail art-ify the envelope.

 

 

 

Because I do get a lot of mail, entry into my address book is not immediate. I don't add anyone until the third letter I've received from them. No one (until now) knows that I do that, but I consider it something pretty special, to get added to book.  The act of writing things in is very important to me.

I also erase entries. Don't be shocked. I'll tell you why. When I do my holiday cards, I make a point to write to everyone who has an entry in the book. After I've finished a card, I place a rubber stamp next to the entry with a FriXion stamp. As the months go by, when I get a letter back, I erase the stamp. (That's the magic of the FriXion stamps. They are erasable.) If, by June, I haven't gotten a letter in return, then the whole entry gets erased. You have to write a letter to get a letter. It works both ways. Plus, there's only so much room in my book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the system I've developed that works for me. I'd love to hear about your system in our comments!

Comments

[Jane B.]

I use an Excel spreadsheet as my address book. I print it on 8.5x11 paper horizontally (now @ 8 pages). The fields include: last, first, main phone, street, city, state, zip, extra phone, email, date updated, notes (kids/partner names, where I met, anniv/bday, and the like). Once a person is on the list, they usually stay on it....forever. My friends know I keep the list, so I get calls/emails asking for so and so's address :) I usually update it 2x a year.

[Cynthia]

Every year I buy a new pocket size address book. I add entries one by one as I receive letters, or as I meet someone new, not only letter writers. Then at the end of the year I review it, make some notes, and start over the next year. It keeps the book fresh and encourages new friendships.

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold!

[Stephanie]

I use a small notebook that I modified into an address book. It has three sections for family, friends and penpals. I started to write the addresses in with a proper pen but after a while realised that pencil works better as I can just erase and re write when someone moves. I rarely cross out people, only when I have absolutely no contact with them anymore.

[p.]

I use an index card keeper that has tabbed inserts, and I sort the cards alphabetically. This way everyone gets their own index card so if they move or if they have multiple addresses there's plenty of space to add on, or to just throw the card away. It takes a little longer to dig through the box than if it was in something like a mini-binder, but it works great for me.

[Kristy]

I think you've inspired me to create a DIY-ed address book to keep better track of my letter writing ;D

[Monica]

This was fascinating to read. Thank you for sharing!

[cathy]

you've given some interesting ideas. now to find those stamps!

[Victoria]

Those stamps (FriXion) can be found at jetpens.com. I have some of them and they are wonderful in my schedule book! I usually wait a year before adding a pen pal into my old address book (I've had it since high school). I don't use pencils, so there are a lot of cross-outs from people moving. I might have to take a stamp out of Donovan's book though and start using erasable materials!

[Donovan Beeson]

If you click on the words "a FriXion stamp" in the blog post, it'll take you right to the Jet Pens page!

[Emily]

I've kept track of my addresses in a variety of techie forms: spreadsheet, Outlook, currently in Gmail, and it's kind of out of control with random info. Now, I really want an analogue address book!

[Julia]

Index cards! That's brilliant. I hate having entries be even slightly out of alphabetical order, which inevitably happens when you are using a regular address book unless you never make any new friends. But index cards = forever alphabetized = perfect solution for me. Thanks!

[Ryuluna]

I just use the Q section of my contacts on my phone, like I'd put a Q in front of their name. 'Q Mary Jane'. Like that. And its for people who I correspond a lot with, and who are special. It's an easy way to look up someone who you know would want a postcard or something.

I should probably make a better system! haha.

[sauni]

So glad I am not the only one that has a paper address book in this digital age. I love your little stamp idea. I am definitely adding this to my next card sending season.