So, you've finally gotten caught up on the yard work, the laundry is at an acceptable level of completeness, shopping is done, the holidays are at least a week away and you have a couple of hours to spend on this hobby.
Where do you start? What should your priorities be? Here are a list of things to think about in setting up where to put your time and attention. This is based on my priority list, and the way I have been looking at things. You may need to adjust!
First - Save Time Limited Sources! This is the one priority that you cannot change. It must be number one and it must be done as soon as possible. What are Time Limited Sources? Almost exclusively these are people. If you've been thinking about asking Great Aunt Francis something for years, you better do it soon! She is a human being and there is a definite time limit on her availability. Forget the family feud that has been raging about the missing wedding invitation fifteen years ago! Make peace and ask the questions, or you will regret it for the rest of your life.
One of the things my grandmother did when she was getting older was to sit with my mother and identify the source of many of the items that were in her jewelry box and silver drawer. Pictures were labeled and stories told. Don’t wait until it is too late to try and figure out what the B on that silver label represented. Ask now! Second - Preserve Unique Items! The next priority should always be to preserve what information you already have! Whether we are talking about birth/marriage/death certificates, photographs, letters and other documents, they need to be preserved for future generations. Medals, family Bibles, albums and Littlest Angel Boxes need to be stored properly and labeled. For further details see my article Preserving Records of Our Past.
Third - Archive the Information! The second most important thing to do is to share and document what you already know. The hours of research that you have accomplished should not have to be duplicated by future generations. You should document your information as completely and accurately as you can and share it! It is only by Sharing What You Know that you will truly insure that people can concentrate on finding the missing pieces of the family tree, instead of re-doing something already completed. Nothing is more discouraging to a researcher who presents a nicely documented line to have the person look at it and say “Oh, I’ve known that for years!” We want to build on what is known, not recreate it over and over again.
Go To Page: 1 2
