How long should one keep old prompt books?

[erhartnett]

I am downsizing and I have tons of old prompt books. Is it worth the space to keep them? Worth my time to make digital copies?

[John Zachary Wells]

I keep all my prompt books.. I like to hold on to them. But If it starts getting to be to many prompt books and you still want to keep them you could always scan them and easily have all the paperwork in case you need it. 

[dallas10086]

Many times the theatre which produced the production will ask for all related materials, including prompt books, for archival purposes. If this wasn't your case, you could easily dwindle down the collection to a few shows that were landmarks for you: large scale musicals, large casts, etc. that you could refer back to down the road. Keep the ones that mean something to you, either personally or professionally.

Thankfully we live in an age where the move from making space on the shelves to space on a hard drive is relatively easy, making it a desirable option to downsizing your hard copies.

[MatthewShiner]

Um, professionally, usually, all prompt books are property of the theatre, I just turn it over to the producer upon closing . . . I have to tell you, I have zero prompt books in my possession.

None.  Zippo.  Zilch.

I don't know why I would keep one.

[lsears]

I don't have any full prompt books for plays.  I have a few opera scores from when I ASMed, as the companies only want paperwork, not the cueing book.  Those have been helpful as I repeat operas, and also for teaching students about opera.  For plays, if I want any of my paperwork it is on my computer.  Other than that, it all gets handed over to the production manager when I walk out at closing.  Even the ASM books I have I offered to the company first, it's their property first, mine second.

[bex]

I haven't hit the point yet where I need to downsize, but I think that I would keep hard copies or scan in anything I was particularly proud of or wanted to keep as an example for a portfolio (tricky blocking section, really excellent cues, something like that) and then I would also keep a copy of the script itself, minus the paperwork, if I don't have a cleaner copy of it somewhere. 

[MatthewShiner]

(All I am saying is there is a point in your career when no one ever asks to see an example of your paperwork or a calling script)

Keeping something for personal or sentimental reasons - go ahead. 

[Balletdork]

I kept a bunch for years- all my college shows, all my asm shows- then once upon a move! I realized that they were just taking up space! I have old paperwork digitally and enough examples to teach from~ and my office is much less cluttered! 

[Rebbe]

Keep them as long as you need them.  It’s not like your tax returns where there is a hard and fast rule.  When I was new to SMing I was working for theaters that didn’t take my call book, and it was good to have the last few available as examples of what worked for me and what didn’t.  Since you have “tons” of old prompt books, you’re probably past needing them for that purpose.  These days I only keep a script if I don’t have it electronically or want it for posterity, but most of them I’ve recycled.

[austingresh]

The only reasons I would keep prompt books are to use for portfolio work and to be able to look back and reference how I did a particular show or situation.  As for the portfolio part, I would pick out one or two books that show a good example of your work.  As for the rest of the books, I would archive them electronically if you want to keep them for reference later.  I agree with some of the other people here that I have never 'needed' to go back and have a book but I am also the type of person that never wants to get rid of something 'just in case'.  As for what to scan if you don't want to scan every page of every prompt book, you could either do it over a period of time to make it easier or look for stuff that will show off your work best (for electronic portfolios).  I would scan a few script pages but don't neglect your other paperwork such as schedules, prop lists, show/rehearsal reports, and so on since we create way more paperwork than just the script ques.

[SMLois]

The one situation in which I have realized the use of having old prompt scripts is for lecturing.  I am going to lecture at a university next week and wanted to bring along some samples, but I don't own any of my prompt scripts, so I have spent the last week going around to various companies I have worked for asking permission to borrow a script for a couple of days.  If I even had one of my ASM books or one from when i was in university it would be helpful.