Why does "delete album" also have to delete the contents?

Sounds like a silly question, but why can't there be an option that an album be 'symbolic'? That is, I could delete an album and not have the files deleted? There is now an option to 'delete files rather than move to trash' so why couldn't there be an option to NOT delete the files?

My current problem (listed under another question) is that I have two albums showing, but they cover the same file structure. Thus, deleting one of those albums (something I would like to do) will cause both to be deleted under the current scheme and thus deleting all pictures. I suppose (and I may try with proper backup) that I could import the files to a new album, delete both of the old, and import the new album back into the location of the original(s), but that seems like a big problem and in the process, I might lose all the tags I so carefully created.

Best course of action is to live with it I suppose. But it seems there should be a better answer.