Watching April and Other Distractions

April the Giraffe
Youtube Live Feed

All over the world people are watching a giraffe named April as we wait for her to give birth to her 4th calf.
It was supposed to be in March they said, don't tune out you will miss it they said....here it is the beginning of April and we (read that ME) are still watching!
I have her next to me as I research, well, as I try to research.
Then something catches my eye...oh, what's she doing now? Is that a contraction? Why is someone in her pen?
Oh, look, they are feeding her carrots!
 Arg!!

 We all get distracted and go down rabbit holes or chase after that darn squirrel every once in a while!
It happens when we get an email with a new DNA match or a message from a cousin who has information we need to take a brick out of a wall.
 It can be a Bright Shiney Object (BSO) in the form of a new DNA tool, an update to your genealogy computer program with new features to play with, or a new app to learn.
Some days things just don't get done as we fall in those holes, chase those clues and are blinded by the sparkly.
Our to-do lists don't get to-done.

There are a few things that have helped me stay focused and on track.

First, I set up a schedule for the day. What and when I am going to work on certain tasks. It is a flexible plan that can be tweaked as the day moves forward. The schedule may show two hours to work on a particular project, but sometimes, ideas flow, and there's a need to extend a little instead of stopping to work on something else.

Second,  I looked for tools that help me stay on track with my day and my projects. I use Evernote, Trello and Google Calendar.
These hold my schedules, notes and to- do lists and checklists. They each can be used on my computer and on my tablet and smartphone to be consulted where ever I am.
Trello boards are a great project management tool and help me to plan step by step in order to complete assignments and tasks.
I review them before getting to work to help me know what to do with my allotted time.

Have you ever decided to use a time management program or app, put all your info in it and then never open it?
A system and a routine for when I check my tools and what action to take helps me to use them to get the full benefit and be productive throughout the day.
In the morning my Google calendar events and Evernote to do lists and help me remember what I have to do.
In the evenings, it's nice to go over my schedule for the day and see the things that I have worked on and perhaps completed before planning the next day.

To all of this, I have added a Bullet Journal. Writing down my daily, weekly and monthly tasks has helped to process what I need to do and the best way to get it done. These items are then placed on my web based tools for easy access everywhere.

I have been trying harder to not go off the path after those BSOs and slide down deep rabbit holes. The goal is to add them to my to-do lists and project schedules.

I said I have been TRYING-but some days, you get this

April Saying Hello!

and it's so hard to look away! "Giraffe, Giraffe"!!

What helps you stay on track and focus on finding your family?

Helping you climb your family tree,
Cheri

Trello - another tool for Genealogy

With a little help from Friends

a great way to collaborate or just get organised

What is Trello ? 

I think the best way to find out is to look at their tour.

DearMYRTLE and Cousin Russ have been using this to help them plan and organise their hangouts for some time now and here is a Mondays with Myrt where they show some of what they do with Trello.

Cousin Russ also recorded a video with genealogy blogger Becky Jamison on 6th May 2016, where they discussed a post she had made on her blog, about how she is using Trello, to help her get things organized. 

She has added some more posts, about using Trello, since recording this, so please take time to look at them all.

I thought that I might be able to make use of this and remembered having a look at Trello in the past. I went to sign up and realised that I had already signed up using my Google account. When I signed in, I found had already set up some boards, so decided it was time I started adding more to them.

Here are 2 short videos I have made explaining how I have set things up and what I am planning to do to make good use of this tool.

If you are not already using Trello and are thinking of trying it out please use this link to join it is FREE.

New Year - New Plans

Does the start of a New Year make you think about planning for the year ahead?

At the end of 2014 Thomas MacEntee introduced his Genealogy Do Over . 

I had every intention of getting this done last year. 
I made a start, but life just seemed to get in the way as it so often does, now to put that plan into action.

I decided a few weeks into the year, in 2015, that my first goal was going to take much longer than I anticipated. 

I visited the US in February 2015, attending the Rootstech/FGS conference in Salt Lake City, and in April 2015 I also spent a day at WDYTYA Live in Birmingham.

I regularly participate in genealogy hangouts, have my own blogs, a "day job", and run my family home. Ultimately something had to go, getting organized took a back seat. 

So this year I am continuing with my organization plans and hoping to implement some of the things I learnt last year. This applies to both my genealogy and my work files. Along the way I will be blogging about my progress and sharing things that I have found useful on either of my 2 blogs.

I have never been the most organized person and I have tried out a few systems with the aim of getting more organized. 

The above graphic shows some of the things I have had to consider under the overall "umbrella" of organisation. 
I have tried using both Evernote and One Note to aid organization, but at present, I am not exactly sure how I am going to make best use of their capabilities.

That being said, this Saturday I am going to the Genealogy Clutter Buster Mini Boot Camp. 
I am sure Lisa Alzo will have plenty of advice here. 
If you have been unable to sign up for this, both sessions quickly sold out, I am sure Thomas MacEntee will have it available after the event.


Hopefully I have finally hit on a system that works for me with what I am proposing to do.
This month I am concentrating on planning.

Have you made your own plans for 2016?

January is the month for Planning!

How much is Enough?

To be honest I was not sure what to post about this month. After talking about Genealogy Do-Over, Rootstech and WDYTYA Live and not having attended any more conferences I could not write about my experiences this month. 

I didn't get to the Global Family Reunion or even watch any of the live stream from SCGS Jamboree.

Have I overdone the conferences and the webinars and does attending several hangouts on air (even if just as a viewer) each week lead to information overload. 

We all have our limits and much as we enjoy genealogy everyone needs a break.

I really enjoy talking genealogy with others and I am sure you will agree that we all have times when we feel "enough is enough", particularly when you give up a large part of your time to helping others, rather than getting on with your own research or spending time with your family.

I am not complaining and neither should others, the schedule we set ourselves can sometimes be overoptimistic or things happen and we are no longer able to cope with the pace of work. None of us wants to disappoint our friends and colleagues but there comes a time when you have to say I have had enough.

I can't remember the last time I took a proper look at my research and put a plan in place for where I want to go next so now I need to sit down and think out where I want to go. For too long I have been coasting along starting one thing after another and never really finishing things.

I have just had a birthday and before I reach my next I want a clear plan of where I am heading. 

If I start something and have to leave it, I want to be in a position to pick it up again where I left off.

I am never going to become one of those totally organized people but if anyone is going to be able to make use of what I have amassed it needs more structure than it has now.

As much as I enjoy learning and passing on my knowledge to others it does us all good to take a step back from what we are doing and decide on our priorities. 

So my resolution for the rest of the year is to decide on my goals and priorities and how I am going to achieve them.

Be realistic.

Remember that most things can wait until tomorrow. 

If you set a deadline most of the time it can be changed, but prioritize those which cannot. 

Reduce the stress of looming deadlines.

If you are finding you have taken on too much, drop what you can and reflect on why this happened.   

We may have Enough time, but not Enough time to Waste.

Book Breaking and Digitisation

An article in the New Yorker, Scattered Leaves describes how a medieval scholar discovered how a book of hours, a type of personal prayer book, dating from the 1460s with gold illuminations, came to be broken up.  It survived intact until 2010 when it was catalogued as "APPARENTLY COMPLETE" at a Christie's auction.  By late 2013, the book had been dismantled and leaves sold separately, particularly on EBay, to make a bigger profit. The scholar acquired the cover and 7 remaining leaves out of the original 234.  The original number of leaves is known because the book had previously been catalogued and described.

Digitisation, the process of creating digital copies by scanning or photographing original documents, typically results in a collection of digital images.  In a sense, the copying process resembles book breaking, but without destroying the original.  The resulting collection then needs to be organised and presented in a way that faithfully represents the original as far as possible.

Even without deliberate dispersal, as in the case of the book of hours, the original may not be complete at the time of digitisation.  Unless it has been described in sufficient detail to note the missing parts, users may make erroneous conclusions.

Have you tried to scan or photograph your own genealogy artifacts or records in an archive?  It is easy to skip a page, or make duplicates, isn't it?  My luck dictates that the missing page contains the record of my ancestor!

Institutions like archives and libraries do take great care to ensure the quality of digitised copies of documents.  The standards published by the State Library of Queensland are an example. Notable in these standards is the requirement for structural metadata in addition to  descriptive, administrative and technical metadata  (p.4 item 7).  The structural metadata describes the relationships between digital files such as the sequence of pages.

Commercial genealogy vendors do not always take the same care as public institutions.  Although the following examples refer to a particular company, I regularly hear reports of poor curation of digital records by other companies.  In a recently reported scandal, an Ancestry.com employee, contracted to digitise records at St Louis repository of  the USA National Archives and Records Administration, disposed of military draft-cards when under pressure to perform efficiently.  In Ancestry's 1871 census collection for Enumeration District 9,  Hitcham, Suffolk, England, pages 3, 6, 9, 13, 16, and 19 are missing.  The entry for my great grandmother, Susannah Stiff, on page 3, reveals her real relationship to Abraham Stiff (grand-daughter, not daughter).  What did I say about my luck?

So, next time you use digital resources ask yourself: Is the collection complete?
 

Digital copies enable access that would not otherwise be possible, help researchers find resources and use the materials in new ways.  They are not a complete substitute for originals, and only assist with the preservation of the originals by reducing direct use.  Original materials that are worth photographing or scanning are worth keeping carefully. Once digital copies have been made, their preservation presents its own set of challenges.  Digital files require constant care with regular copying to new media and new formats. The JISC digital media Guide to Digital Preservation notes:

"due to technological obsolescence and media fragility, many consider it possible that future generations will have less information about Gulf War conflicts (recorded on digital media) than the First World War (recorded on analogue media)"

An excellent example of how digitisation enabled scholarly research is The Great Parchment Book project.  This manuscript containing surveys and estate records from Derry, part of the Ulster plantation, was compiled in the 1630s.  It was so badly damaged by fire in 1786 that is has been unreadable until the restoration and digitisation project.  The website presents digital images before and after manipulation, transcriptions and background information.

High quality digitisation combined with careful and accurate presentation is what I want to see from all providers of research materials relevant to genealogy.   That will best support my personal scholarship, and yours.

Reflections Returns to Home Base, Tidbits From My World

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Man and I have returned to our home base, aka, the stick built.  We have been here almost two weeks.  The map above shows our 6 months away. I cannot say we stayed away from snow and cold this year, because we visited places that had mucho snow, sometimes 3 to 4 feet, and one of our last stops in Glenwood Springs Colorado was a bit longer than we envisioned as, well, we got snowed in. Not much snow at the campground, but, we could not get over the 11,000 foot pass to Denver for several days due to snow and ice.  We towed Tana about 5200 miles over the six months.  We put 9600 on the truck, Jolly.

Since our return, we have cut the acreage twice and felled two dead trees.  There are enough weeds to keep me, mmm, "entertained" for a while.  We have not finished moving out of Tana and back into the stick built.

I know I have been chattering all spring about "stepping" away from the computer.  I hear other bloggers/genealogists mentioning that as well.  Seems there are a number of us that are feeling "burnout".  For me, I am doing my best to walk away for several hours, here, there, but, every day, just walking away.  Of course, I usually have my iToys in tow.  I know, I know.  One device at a time.  First the computer, then, the iPad, next the iPhone.

And, I have been chattering about doing some serious catching up on input and organization.  To that effect, I have been tossing stuff in trash cans daily.  You know, stuff, like old shoes, old clothes, old stuff.  No, I cannot face doing this all in one massive tossing marathon, but, I can toss something every day.  I will admit, I am looking for the largest stuff possible to toss first, making a few holes.  Seeing that "holes" are the goal, tossing the large stuff first makes me feel like I have done something wonderful and urges me on to find more big stuff to toss.  (Why is it I hear Man's doubting snorts in the background?)

I am attempting to catch up on my travel blog posts over at Reflections From the Fence.  I am almost 2 years behind.  Isn't that sad?  As I blog I delete bad photos, and move the photos reviewed to a archival area on the hard drive.  Keeping up the daily backups and twice monthly backups to my external hard drives is paramount and something I do keep up to date. Organization, with a dose of madness tossed in to keep it real.

In between moving, tossing, organizing, blogging, and stepping away from the computer, I have managed to find two new cousins, we all descend from 2 lines in early Pennsylvania and Virginia. We have been sharing.  While sharing, I discovered some, ok, a number more than just some, of missing files on my computer.  (Refer to last sentence of the paragraph above, "Organization, with a dose of madness tossed in to keep it real.")  Books I had scanned about 2 years ago, MIA.  No where to be found.  After some quiet wailing and whining to myself, I checked one of the backup external hard drives and there they all were.  See, backups saved me a serious and painful do-over.  Did you hear my sighs of relief??  They were long and loud sighs.

Above:  just one small corner of the office.  If I can manage to clean up this corner, before fall, I will be dancing joyfully.  In that pile I see genealogy, and taxes and filing and "cleanup in aisle 4 please".  I can guarantee that this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Approaching like the "tossing stuff" project, do a little every day, or twice a day, or something.  Anything is better than nothing. (Again, I hear Man's snorting in the background.  Hmmmph.)

Last summer I spent considerable time arranging for markers to be placed on 3 graves of Man's ancestors.  I hope to personally visit two of these grave sites in the next month or so and obtain photos.  Descendants of two are so pleased that there are now new beautiful markers on their ancestor's graves.  Received a warm and loving thank you note from one of the descendants the other day.  She is thrilled.  Another descendant wrote when she saw mock-up photos that she was crying with joy.  Yes, all that work was worth it.  The money spent was worth it.  I feel closure, my heart is at peace.

What are your plans for the upcoming summer?  Research, organizing, tossing stuff, or just stepping away from the computer?  Whatever you plan, don't forget to include lots of visits and hugs with family, they are after all the basis of our research, why we do what we love so much. And, oh, take lots of photos!




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Spring Cleaning & Genealogy

I love books!

It's that time of year (at least in the Northern hemisphere!). It's Spring and many of us are opening windows, storing the heavy blankets and comforters, rolling up rugs, changing out our dishes, and driving with the top down (convertibles mind you!). The weather is gorgeous enough that whether you have a free afternoon or weekend, reading outside on the deck or at the park is mandatory, it's a rite of Spring!

I am a huge reader - it is something I saw growing up (both my parents are readers and we went to the library twice a month for our "book fix" when I was a child). All my siblings are readers as well and whether it is a biography, thriller, reference, mystery, historical fiction, military history, current event or self-improvement - we often share titles and sometimes share the actual book. Whenever I move or visit family, I find the library and the bookstores so I can easily get my "book fix." I appreciate the "Lucky Day" or "New & Noteworthy" section of the library where I often find books that I might otherwise miss. (For those unfamiliar with this section of the library, new books are shelved here and can be checked on for 14 days - no renewals and if it is on the shelf, it is your "lucky day"). I appreciate author interviews on certain news and talk shows because I am introduced to new-to-me writers and new ideas (closed minds are most definitely not a good thing!).

So what is in my stack this month? I'm glad you asked.

• The Road to Character by David Brooks - in the introduction David Brooks suggests that we need to rebalance our lives as too many of us (himself included) focus on resume virtues (external success) rather than eulogy virtues (internal success). He posits that something profound is being lost in our Society when we forget or denigrate the core virtues of "kindness, bravery, and honesty." The strength of this book is in the examples the author shares - my personal favorites are Dorothy Day and Frances Perkins (both women saw Society's ills and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the marginalized and the working classes). This is a book you really should purchase because it is one of those books you read slowly, think about and annotate. It is also a book that drives you to the notes (I love footnotes for sources and fuller explanations), Wikipedia and biographies of the selected individuals. This is an excellent Spring to Summer read as you gather additional materials to learn more about these individuals - their lives, their struggles, their choices, and their core values in action. Perhaps one of these individuals had some impact on an ancestor or what they did or stood for shaped some aspect of your ancestors' lives. 
• Resilience by Eric Greitens - so often when I research my ancestors' lives I wonder how they survived such tremendous difficulties and setbacks (personal ones such as the loss of several children or systemic ones such as religious or class persecution). How do people pick up the pieces and not only survive but thrive? Eric Greitens' book is a fascinating read - the correspondence between two men, one broken and lost and the other "been there" and encouraging - that will give hope to anyone who wants to learn how to navigate difficult times.
• the life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing by Marie Kondo - you will have several of those "aha moments" when you read this simple but quite useful book on getting organized and the effect that finally decluttering (not simply moving around, filing or storing our stuff) will have on our personal and work lives. I am using Marie Kondo's suggestions/directives to finally get through my genealogy materials - both on my computer and my paper files (this is my Spring to Summer project). 
• Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson - I read everything Erik Larson writes because his research is meticulous and his interweaving of the facts, personalities, and the times makes every subject he takes on riveting. Dead Wake is his most recent effort and in light of our focus on World War I in genealogy and family history circles (the centenary of WWI) it is a timely addition to my reading stack. Note to everyone - find a free weekend because you won't be able to put this book down; each of his books reads like a thriller! Dead Wake places the reader right in 1915 and tells the story of the history and use of submarines by Germany, the attitudes of people making the Atlantic crossing during wartime, the attitudes of those involved in the war effort, and the actions and inactions of politicians in Germany, the UK and the United States. History comes alive in Dead Wake.    

So there you have it - four of my must reads for Spring - it's all about variety and taking advantage of books to learn, reflect and nudge my thinking in new directions. And just to show you that I'm not all about the serious - I love mysteries and thrillers! These books were in my reading stack for the past two weeks.

It will play with our fears, take us on adventures,
put a new spin on history, and give use clever characters and quips
a good book opens a door to all kinds of possibilities

I'm a pretty fast reader when I am trying to figure out who committed the crime and I tell myself that it keeps my mind sharp for figuring out genealogical mysteries or learning more about Minnesota where several of my ancestors settled (thanks John Sandford!).

What's in your reading stack? Why not share in the comments section below. Thanks for reading and I'll fill you in next month on how my tidying up project is going.

I Got Work To Do - - Scans, Etc.

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How bout you?

I have not been participating in the "Do-over" memes. Maybe I should have. 

Truth is, Man and I have been traveling rather hard. 1,225 miles on Tana since we left Needles California on February 26, 2015. We have put on many more miles just driving around in Jolly the truck.

We have visited Route 66, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, St. George Utah, Zion, Bryce, Page Arizona where the Slot canyons and Lake Powell are. Monument Valley, Capital Reef, Moab and heading through Colorado as I type while we are rolling along. Love my iPad and the ability to write and share while rolling.

Man gazing at the stunning scenery of Monument Valley, Utah.

That said, standing in the shower this morn, my mind wandering here and there I thought of all the work and fun stuff genealogical I have to play with.

Evernote files to review. 

OneNote files to review. 

(Yes, she admits, a bit ashamedly, she uses both, Evernote and OneNote.)

Mega.  And I mean mega numbers of files to review. Digital fun galore. Not linked. Not reviewed. 

Work to do.  

I got work to do, scans, etc.

That is a name of a file on my hard drive, really it is.  See, here is a screen shot, showing the file and the 31 sub directories and the 4,524 files I have to play with.

Yes, I am a bit embarrassed to show that huge number, I mean, really, 5.51  gigs??  Of data. Unprocessed data.  Is yours that bad??

Oh, and, there is more, because, nope, it is not all filed here.  It should be, but, it is not.  I need to organize that hard drive some more too.

But for now, it awaits, as I am continuing the "step away from that computer" mode I suggested back in March.

Yes, indeed, when we get back to the stick built in SE Michigan, 

I Got Work To Do, Scans, etc.

Till then, happy researching, travel safe.




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Digital preservation, or why I worry about Evernote

Digital preservation ensures that the digital information we have today can still be accessed in the future. Before becoming a professional genealogist, I worked in the IT department of the National Archives in the Netherlands where I picked up some knowledge about digital preservation that I hope will be useful to you. Most people think that all you need to do is make back-ups, but there is a lot more to it than that.

Four issues with digital preservation

There are four main issues with digital preservation:

1. Files get corrupted when hardware fails. Think crashed hard drives or demagnetized floppy disks. Or your house burning with your backups inside. 
2. Files stored on obsolete media. Who still has a 5 1/4" floppy drive? Many new computers don't even come with a CD/DVD player anymore. 
3. Files are in obsolete file formats. For example, a WordStar 1.0 or WordPerfect 4.2 document. 
4. Files get lost because of human behavior. For example, files on hard drives that nobody bothered to copy before recycling the computer or emails and document that get deleted when you loose access to your account because you change jobs or providers. People also use files because they don't understand how their cloud storage solution (Dropbox, Google Drive) works and don't realize that deleting a file from their hard drive may also delete it from the cloud. 

With paper information, you have to actively do something to make it go away (throw it out). If you don't do anything, it will get preserved in your attic or wherever you saw it last. 

With digital information, you have to actively make sure that it gets preserved, otherwise it will be lost. 

Back-ups only help so much...

Back-ups can help combat issues number 1, 2 and 4 (corrupt files, obsolete media and human error). A good backup strategy is the 3-2-1 rule: have 3 copies of each file, on 2 different types of media, 1 of which is stored in a different geographical location. By actively making backups of things you want to preserve, you ensure that this information is not lost accidentally. 

A good backup strategy will give you access to your files. But whether they are in a format that you can use is another matter.

Different types of file formats

The way a file is stored on the computer is called a file format. A file format tells the software how to open the file. Examples of file formats are .jpg (JPEG image file), .docx (Microsoft Word) and .pdf (Portable Document File). 

Digital preservation problems start when you have a file that is stored in a file format that you cannot open anymore. You may have a WordPerfect 4.2 file, but you may not have WordPerfect anymore. Perhaps you can convert the file, but information may be lost along the way. Or you may use an old computer (or emulate one) and run your old software. 

The type of file format determines how hard it will be to open in the future. Some file formats are proprietary and require that vendor's software to open them. .FTM files are a good example, the file format that Family Tree Maker uses. You can't open an FTM file in another program.

Other file formats use open standards. An open standard means that the specification of the standard is published and everybody is allowed to use it to create their own programs. Gedcom is an example of an open standard: dozens of tools can read a Gedcom file, which is why it is still being used to exchange information between different genealogy programs.

Most software offer a way to save files in a different file format, which often includes open standards, like the Gedcom export function in genealogical software. You have that option as long as you can use the software. But you may not be able to run that software after your next operating systems upgrade, if your license expires or if the vendor goes out of business.

The problem with programs like Evernote

Cloud-based solutions (like Evernote) give people a false sense of security because they think everything is "backed up" in the cloud. That is not really true though: Evernote synchronizes, which is different than a backup. If you delete a note in Evernote, it will be gone from all your devices, because Evernote synchronizes your information. That is different from information that is backed up, because then you will be able to restore the backup. 

Another problem with programs like Evernote is that you are totally dependent on the vendor. I have no idea if I will be able to access my Evernote files if Evernote goes out of business ten years from now and the software stops working. I use the web version as well as the Windows version. If Evernote goes out of business, I won't be able to use the web version but will probably still have access to the Windows version, at least for a while. But the information are all stored in Evernote-specific .EXB files on my hard drive. As far as I know, there are no other programs than Evernote to get my stuff out except copy-paste it.

[BTW, I'm using Evernote as an example because it's very popular among genealogists but most software, especially cloud-based software has the same issues]

My advice: combine solid backups with migration to open file formats

For information that is important to you, that you want generations from now to be able to open, my advice is to make sure to save them in a file format that has an open standard. For example, I save scans of my family photos as TIFF, not PSD (the Photoshop file format). A hundred years from now, any programmer can take the TIFF scans and create a viewer for the amazing devices that they will have then. But Photoshop might not be around anymore. 

This does not mean I don't use other files as well. I use Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic for my research. That is no problem since I am aware of the issues and will periodically create a GEDCOM and put that in my backup locations using the 3-2-1 rule. I also keep the FTM files, because conversion often loses some of the information. But if for some reason I don't have FTM anymore, or the old program doesn't work on my shiny new operating system, I will still be able to access at least a large part of the information.

More information

If you want to learn more about how archives professionals deal with digital preservation, check out the website of the Open Preservation Foundation. For a more lighthearted introduction, view the rest of the videos by Team Digital Preservation on Youtube.

Finding Your Desk - Another Take on Organization

Many of us spent part of February either attending or viewing sessions at RootsTech/FGS 2015. We learned about new technology, new resources, and new ways of looking at or working with our family history research. One of the more interesting exercises at this conference was to engage in "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." (I'm talking about our genealogy management programs, spreadsheet programs, and filing systems - what were you thinking?!)

Why were we getting together to discuss software and apps, spreadsheets and image software, filing systems and work-spaces? Because it is always interesting to see how others do things! We also want to make sure that no one has a better, easier, or faster system for filing, maintaining, and retrieving all our family history finds. So many genealogists and family historians have been at this for decades and they either have some truly wonderful ideas and are quite organized or they have piles of information and mention that getting organized is the next thing on their to-do list.

In my case I did not start doing genealogy until 2007 and the first thing I did was check a few books out of the library on how to do genealogy and sign up for the American Records track at the Salt Lake Institute for Genealogy. Paula Stuart Warren was my first teacher. At that seminar, I asked about digital filing and got strange looks from most of the other attendees. Today everyone is surprised if someone hasn't scanned all their paper files!

make a plan and work your plan!
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net ID-10061774 digitalart

Luckily for me, some genealogists who had been at it for awhile offered to sit down with me and gave me some wonderful advice.

• get a genealogy management program and learn how to use it (it doesn't matter which program as it is highly individual - but kick those tires, take a few programs on a test drive, and then make a decision)
• don't do a smash and grab with online or offline family trees (start with your own family and work with your own records - it helps you understand the process and working with known people, places and dates gives you an opportunity to have a useful sample file; don't rely on others' work - consider everything you see online as clues on your search but rely on your own research and work product)
• the best filing system is the one you actually use (you can have all the greatest systems, color-coding, fancy folders, etc., but if it is too much trouble or too involved it just won't happen and then you will have those dreaded filing piles)
• take the time, on a regular basis, to clean up and organize your work space (I learned this with cooking - cleaning as you go is much easier than looking at a huge mess in the kitchen later)

I took their advice to heart and although I don't have a perfect system, I have a perfect system for me (and that's what important). My genealogy filing system was in its early stages when our family decided to organize and scan all our family slides and photos a few years ago. We did some serious research (you have probably figured out we love to research, plan and organize things in my family - both parents are, and always have been, list makers and with eight children my mom had to be organized!). We decided to spend the money to have our slides and photographs professionally scanned. We met with the lead person, asked him about logistics, and took the time to come up with a plan. The company did the "hard work" of cleaning, scanning and digitizing everything and then the process moved on to us to incorporate metadata and tagging in our software of choice (this is where it is helpful to have lots of siblings). It was a great division of labor because he and his team knew about scanning and we knew who our family members were, as well as the dates and occasions that were reflected in the images.

Now everyone in our family has a DVD set of the early years (about 11,000 photos and slides), we have a family vault (on an external hard drive backed up on another one). We can easily add to the vault and provide scans when requested by extended family members - which is helpful with reunions, marriages, graduations, etc. Did I mention that we also use both our images and my documents with some of our creative family endeavors? I was very happy to see Panstoria at the RootsTech Exhibit Hall. I love their software - Historian (the vault where you store and work with images) and Artisan (the playground where you make posters, cards, scrapbooks, etc., using images from your vault).

I took the lessons learned from that scanning exercise and applied them to my genealogy filing system (online and offline - it helps to mirror your systems). Since it is the same idea, I have a process in place that I use and it works. And that is what it is all about. The key to any of this is thinking about how you want to use your data or your images, how the search feature of your operating system works, and not get too obsessed with folders, sub-folders, and sub-sub-folders. I agree with Jill Ball and others - KISS Keep It Simple Sweetheart (not the version I heard!) Definitely think about the long term, plan, then execute on a small level, tweak, revise, then JUST DO IT, and stick with it.

Thanks to Jill Ball, Pauleen Cass and Julie Goucher for sharing their experiences with file organization (Jill - sorry I missed your GeniAus hangout - will watch it on YouTube as I love organization). I am happy to say that no animals were injured in the writing of this blog (you mentioned something about skinning cats in your blog post). I will admit to checking out coggle after reading Pauleen's recent post (not quite a shiny penny as I have been playing with the idea of mind mapping so thanks Pauleen for the link - coggle passed my first test - it was easy to figure out!). I am making use of a new-to-me idea that is a bullet journal. I found myself using a variety of online reminders that I simply ignored or pushed off, and writing notes on blank pieces of paper which added to my filing pile (oh yes I have one because I am not perfect). I decided to go old school and write all my tasks, appointments, meeting notes, books read, expenses, to-dos, and project ideas in one notebook in a day by day format (Julie - I think this is what you have been doing for years!). So far so good. At least I know where to find everything (and it fits in my bag so it's all good).

My advice - think about the output you want as it will determine your input. While some refer to it as garbage in, garbage out, I prefer to think of it as gold in, gold out.

gold in, gold out - think about it before you do it!
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net ID-10067079 stuart miles

Until next month,
Tessa

Have you thought about joining a Family Society, Association, or Organization?

When I first started to explore my family history, I discovered periodicals that were produced by Family Organizations.  These presented wonderful clues for me.  I was able to follow their research to know how and where to explore to prove my ancestors.  Sometimes the thesis that a researcher on the family presented proved wrong, but isn't that the purpose?  You present and idea and then prove or disprove it?  They collaborate with information and delight in sharing pictures or "finds" they have made.  It is a place you can bounce ideas off of.  Researchers are the beneficiaries of the newsletters or publications which the member's donations fund the subscriptions to various libraries. (I funded the Vance Newsletter for Clayton Genealogical Library in Houston.)  Many now have a DNA project they manage for their surname.  Don't be discouraged if you aren't a male descendant. Many are beginning to recognize the value of atDNA tests (autosomal) and are adding them.

My example of a newsletter front.

How do you find your "Family Organization?"  Some Organizations are a Surname that pulls in people that had the same surname.  I found in the United States, it often follows the theme of a myth, for example:"three brothers came to the United States..." For my Mayflower ancestors, there were is the lineage society of the Mayflower and individuals, such as The Pilgrim John Howland Society.  I am being simplistic here; there are many family societies of all shapes and sizes. Some require a membership fee, usually because they have a project which fees provides funds to support.  Some don't have membership fees, but do require a pedigree to prove relationship.  Again, I am just giving examples.  

Finding your Family Organization or Association may prove problematic.  You can find some that are listed in books written by people who have researched names, periodicals in the genealogy department, and organizations like the Federation of Genealogy Societies membership.  Directory of Family Associations Paperback –1996 by Elizabeth Petty Bentley (check your local library, or it is available in paperback online) is one book available.  

On the internet, searching for a surname organization is not always intuitive.  The title could be an acronym instead of the name. Some of the organizations are not on the internet or have moved to social media sites like Facebook.  That is when organizations like the United Kingdom FFHS and Cindi’s List come in handy.

I have the privilege of helping compile and add Family Organizations to a FamilySearch Wiki page.   It has been sad to see many old organizations have disbanded because of age related problems, since no new younger people showed and interest.  There are many unanswered or unproven mysteries in family files.  Those who have proven their ancestors can help the new or continuing researcher to sort out the records best for the researcher's use. There is good to be done by participating in a Family Society.  I digress.

Going back to my "job", for those of you that know of a Family Society, Organization, or Association, come to the Wiki, see if it is there, if it is not add it.  The word is Wiki. It is for anyone to edit, correct or add information to. It is good advertising to seek out members.

These are some resources for seeing if your Family Society is still active and you can join. 
Some family societies join State and Nation Societies where you can find a list.
Federation of Genealogical Societies

The UK FFHS gives a list of Guild of One Name. 

Directory of Family Associations Paperback –1996 by Elizabeth Petty Bentley (check your local library, or it is available in paperback online. 

Cyndi's List has Surname, Family Associations and Family Newletters.  unfortunately through no fault of her own, many links are broken.   

Sometimes when associated with a specific organiztion you can find them on the Wikipedia such as the List of Mormon Family Organizations.  It says Mormon but many are New England ancestors common to member and nonmember alike.

Another resource is GenWeb Counties like Washington, Tennessee, they list Associations related to their county. 
Some Blogger's have lists on their blogs too. 

This is the FamilySearch Wiki pages. It is a work in progress; names have been searched and discovered through the internet.