Heirlooms and Documents: Preservation and Donation

Not...best practice...

As you're going through old family documents and scanning them into digital copies and organizing them accordingly, you may have run into the question: what do I do with the originals?

Depending on how many original documents and photographs you have, and what format they come in, as well as what they are printed on, this may or may not be a pressing issue for you.

Not all documents are 8.5"x11" and in good condition.  Many may be bound books, rolled documents, scrapbooks, fastened documents, folded documents, hand-written documents, unstable items, oversized items, or damaged items, or a combination of the above - each with their own special and unique considerations.  So, what to do?

While I have seen about a hundred articles all detailing nifty file-storage-organization-systems, I generally recommend that people convert their files to digital format so they aren't using the originals repeatedly for research, and proceed directly to storage and preservation.  How you wish to store them?  That's up to you.  By surname of the head of the home of the family would be my first recommendation, but again, that is up to you.

For family heirlooms (e.g. military medals, military uniforms, antique household items) if they are something you wish to keep, I would recommend researching how best to preserve them for posterity.  Each are going to have their own considerations, and as the number of different items cannot possibly be listed or addressed here, I will turn you to your own research.

However, if you are unable to keep them, you may consider donating them to a local historical society or museum.  Often they will take donated items of a historical or significant nature and display them.  Call around, ask and do your homework. Today's items are tomorrow's history!

Depending on the documents and photographs, some historical societies may take your genealogical papers as well for the preservation of posterity.  Often they have more resources than might be available at home for document storage and preservation, long term. Again, call and do your homework.

Might need some TLC

But what of document storage and preservation?  Briefly:

"Paper preservation requires proper storage and safe handling practices. Your family documents will last longer if they are stored in a stable environment, similar to that which we find comfortable for ourselves: 60-70 degrees F; 40-50% relative humidity (RH); with clean air and good circulation. High heat and moisture accelerate the chemical processes that result in embrittlement and discoloration to the paper. Damp environments may also result in mold growth and/or be conducive to pests that might use the documents for food or nesting material. Therefore, the central part of your home provides a safer storage environment than a hot attic or damp basement. 

Light is also damaging to paper, especially that which contains high proportions of ultra violet, i.e., fluorescent and natural day light. The effects of light exposure are cumulative and irreversible; they promote chemical degradation in the paper and fade inks. It is not recommended to permanently display valuable documents for this reason. Color photocopies or photographs work well as surrogates. 

Family papers should be stored in appropriate sized enclosures, such as a folder, box, portfolio, etc., that will provide physical protection as well as protection from light and dust. The enclosure itself should be made of stable permanent quality materials that will not contribute to the document's deterioration" (From the National Archives.)

Don't forget your map collection....

However, the actual preservation and storage of documents of all different types is much more detailed and critical than can be outlined here. For this reason, I'm attaching a link to the  National Archives Preservation of Archival Records Page which covers much more detailed considerations and education on different files and preservation tips.

Given that the National Archives arose out of the loss of the 1890 federal census to a fire, and is responsible for the keeping of the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Magna Carta and many other historical items - I think it is safe to say that they know what they are talking about and you can rely on the information given by them.

At any rate, always do your homework and have fun!

Using Google Effectively in Genealogy

While we use websites very often in genealogy, and message boards, Google its self can be a treasure trove of information!  I've actually attended a class on how to use Google but this is the first time I've seen a set of notes on it that was complete enough to post!  This is taken from: http://www.barbsnow.net/GoogleGenealogy.htm

Piece of advice though? Remember that genealogy without sources is mythology!  Remember to verify whatever you find this way just as you would any other way.  Google can turn up some fantastic results but be sure to check them.

 Your Guide to Finding Ancestors with Google

• Google Search Tips
• Google Results
• Beyond Basic Googling
• More Information

Google Search Tips

Often your search results in too many hits to wade through...you need the power of Google's ADVANCED SEARCH
(Link is in tiny letters, to the right of the search box).

You want to find out something about your Powers Family, specifically John Powers who was born in 1788 in County Cork Ireland, married in Ireland, Matilda Moore. He died 1862 in Flint, Genessee Co. Michigan (this is a made up example; don't add him to your family tree!)

• powers family finds the two words anywhere on the page; "powers family" finds the phrase.
• "John Powers" "Matilda Moore" finds pages with both phrases --although not necessarily married ot each other. . (But won't find John C. Powers married Matilda Jane Moore )
• "Matilda * Moore" will find Matilda Moore, Matilda Jane Moore, Matilda Ann Moore, etc. The asterisk will not truncate a word; it wouldn't, for example, find Matildalee. Notice that the whole phrase is in quotation marks; an asterisk won't work without them.
• powers -austin allows you to skip all the pages about Austin Powers (no space after the -)
• +powers finds only powers, not power or powering, for example. 
• ****Remember: the name may be reversed, especially in an index. Try "Powers, John" as well as John Powers
• Try to add specific information, e.g. try +Powers "County Cork" finds Powers (but not Power) and the phrase "County Cork" on the same page.
• What other word would be likely to be on the page? Keep narrowing down with less common words... John Powers Flint Genesee Cemetery. Google assumes AND between words, so any results page will contain all of these words (not necessarily close together).
• Powers ~genealogy finds pages with the words Powers and genealogy or synonyms for the word genealogy.
• Dates can be a way to limit results. "John Powers" 1788 will find pages with the phrase John Powers and the date 1788 on the page. If we knew only that he was born ca. 1788, we can search "John Powers" 1785...1791 to find pages with the phrase John Powers and any of the numbers 1785 thorough 1791.
• Too much to remember? Just use the advanced search pages
• YouTube video "Using Google to find gedcom files"

Getting the most from Google results

If you get results from a large genealogy site, e.g. Rootsweb, the results list may show a link to "more results from... " Clicking that link will bring up other hits from that site.
Get a "file not found" message when you click the link? Go back to the results page and click "cached" to bring up a cached version of the page.

Beyond Basic Googling

Download the Google Toolbar so you don't have to keep going to http://www.google.com to make your searches. In addition to quick searching, this toolbar offers many helpful features. I particularly like the bookmarks tool, which allows me to save bookmarks on the web, so I can add them and find them from any computer. See the toolbar button gallery for a choice of Google tools. Here is a YouTube video that shows one helpful you can use the Google Toolbar for genealogy.
Remember to use Google Images to see if you can find picture. Adding the words post card may find local pictures.
Search Google Books to find text in books that have been scanned. Some books are available for viewing on the web; some will refer you to where you can find the book. In the Google Books Advanced Search you can limit results to
All books    Limited preview    Full view    Library catalogs   (the default is all books)
You can search a selection of books included because of their genealogical value at the Google Thomas J. Kemp's Book Library
Easy Google Genealogy Searcher and Easy Google Genealogy Searcher II will help you construct searches.
Google Alerts will notify you by e-mail anytime the crawler finds a new instance of your search term. At first I loved this, but then I turned it off because I kept getting the same information over and over. Try it to see if you like it.
Build a custom google search to crawl a list of websites.

More information:

• GenealogyInTime:
  • Hot Tips on How to Use Google for Genealogy Searches
  • How to Use Google's Advanced Search for Geneaogy Part I and Part II.
  • How to Refine Google Genealogy Searches
  • Genealogy Guide to Google Country Search Engines
  • Google limitations on Genealogy Searches
• About.com's "Googling Genealogy Style" (turn on your popup blocker, but worth reading )
• Google in Genealogy Searches -- A very helpful page.
• Tips for Using Google in Genealogy Searches -- keep scrolling past advertisements that pop up mid page. It's a long page with lots of tips.
• And find many more links on the Cyndi's List page "Googling for Grandma"
• And if you really want to understand Google, there are actually whole books written on the topic -- including one that applies only to genealogy: Google Your Family Tree
• And if you really want to understand Google, there are actually whole books written on the topic -- including one that applies only to genealogy: Google Your Family Tree
• Read Dick Eastman's column on this book -- but the most interesting part is the string of comments following his article, including a comment by the author.
• Here is another review,written by Leland Meitzler
• Watch and listen to an interview with the author, Dan Lynch.
• Work with his Genealogy PowerSearches described on his website.

Stuck? Bored? Just Been A While? Clean House!

The abandoned basement.  Unopened for years.  Musty, dusty, rarely examined and entered, and yet, always worked around and by, but nobody has taken the time to examine the far forgotten corners where hidden treasures from years gone by lay undiscovered for some time.

So it can be with genealogy as well.  Often we will do genealogy for years, months or even decades without looking back at some of the work we did long long ago.  We get in a rush at times when we get excited and aren't quite as thorough as we should have been.  Or, when we are new, we may not have yet standardized all our file types or file names, or simply made mistakes.

Maybe we have even hit a wall and do not know where else to research!  Or we are simply tired of doing research for a while.

Take a break, and have fun above all.  But if you're looking to do something "different", consider "cleaning house."

Go back and check your family file folders and make sure what is in there is supposed to be in there, and what belongs elsewhere gets put elsewhere.

Check that your backups work.

Check filenames that they are standardized.

Convert file formats if you want to (maybe you had stuff in JPEG and want it in TIFF).

Yamhill County Historical Society & Museum display from an outing

Round out your work on Findagrave and add necessary details and link family members if you want to.

Add a few things to your genealogy blog if you have one that maybe you want to archive a bit better.

Check your Legacy or Rootsmagic (or whatever software you use) files for errors and duplicates.

De-fragment your drives and run checkdisks for errors.

Do enough of this and you may find someplace new to head.

Chances are, meticulous as you've been, it is likely that you had a few other branches you could have headed down that you have also forgotten and doing a review will help you find a few things that are worthy of time and attention.

Beyond this, you could even take a genealogy class or go to a local museum in an area your family lived in just to walk through history!  It doesn't always have to be research!  Get out, try something different, and if needs be - go back and clean house!

So!  Bored? Stuck? Been awhile?  Try something different!