What the Yearbook Keeps and What It Doesn't — The Difference Between Public and Private Records

Audience
Parents whose child is approaching or completing elementary school graduation
Target length
~1,500 words
Status
Draft v1 (translated from Japanese v1)
Original
../218_school_vs_home_album.md

Lead

One yearbook seemed like it would be enough — but when a child actually reaches graduation, many parents feel that 40 pages falls short of capturing six years of a life.

A school yearbook and a family's digital album are different records with different purposes and structures. The question is not which is better. Understanding what each records, and what each leaves out, is the starting point for thinking about how they can complement each other across six years.