When I started this blog in 2012, I printed everything. I did a lot of research online, but I would print out the documents I found online and read the printed version. Then I would file them in my paper filing system after recording the information into my family tree software. Gradually, I’ve stopped that practice. I think the turning point was when I created an electronic filing system that I was confident in. Before that, I was afraid I wouldn’t find the document on my hard drive.
Now, the only paper that goes into file folders are documents that came to me in hard copy form. And even some of those are scanned and discarded.
In an effort to encourage others to consider giving up printing, I’ve come up with a list of eight advantages to going paperless:
- It’s less expensive. When you print, you’re using paper, toner (or ink) and electricity. And you’re creating wear and tear on your printer.
- It takes up less space. As your paper files (or binders) grow, they take up more space. (And certainly piles of unfiled paper take up a lot of space!)
- It’s easier to file. More effort goes into filing a piece of paper into a physical file folder or binder than into an electronic folder.
- Electronic documents are easier to find. If you misfile a paper file or leave it in a pile, it can take a lot of effort to find it.
- Electronic documents are searchable (usually). With a few keystrokes you can find all your electronic documents that share certain attributes (like a surname).
- Electronic files are easier to read. You can zoom, adjust contrast, brighten and do all sorts of things to electronic documents that make them easier to read. And that makes your research easier on your eyes. (I can’t remember the last time I used my lighted magnifier!)
- Electronic documents are easily backed up. I recommend using both an external hard drive and a cloud backup.
- Electronic files are easier to share. No photocopying or mailing necessary!
Do you have any reasons to add? I’m convinced, but I’d love to hear from anyone who would like to make a case for keeping paper copies of everything!
Photo of printer by Sir Adavis via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License. (Red X added using PicMonkey.)
I like paper copies and file chronologically by family. This creates a readable family history. and makes my work accessible to others without them understanding the software I use, my file-naming system, or my computer. I suppose this will be a problem as my collection grows, but for now it works.
Jan, thank you so much for your comment! I think that’s a compelling reason to use paper copies and I’m so glad it’s working for you.
Like you, I create no paper. Oh, when I began 12 years ago, I printed every census record and even, horror, transcribed them all on the blank census forms. A lot of work. I have slowly gotten rid of those printed copies. I can not make a case for keeping paper files, sorry. If my family wants to read the history I can easily print any number of reports from Legacy. And, I have a blog where they can read about family. I backup daily and once a month I do a multi device/location backup.
Diane, I think you and I think alike. Thanks for commenting!
I have filed and stored electronically since I began researching my family history in 1998. I am not very good about printing these things out. However, I do feel it is important to do so. While I agree with every single point you made on a personal level, I also know that electronic copies are not perfect. If I am not around in 10 years to open my files and explain my system, all my work may be lost. Paper copies can be picked up by anyone and read with little effort. And I feel the more copies and formats in circulation, the better off future genealogists will be. A bonus is for the present. I have a unique filing system that works for me, but consists of a dozen different surname binders. I can grab a binder and take with me to an informal family gathering and let people browse my papers. Yes, I can do that with a computer, but my 85-95 year old relatives really aren’t interested in viewing my work on a computer, but have quite lively conversations about the names the see in my paper files. To me, it is worth the minor expense of paper and toner and space on a shelf.
Illinimom, thanks for your comment! Your point about the more copies and formats in circulation the better off future genealogists will be is an important one that hadn’t occurred to me. I really appreciate your sharing your perspective!
This explains why you should have electronic filing. Most of them are nor “reasons not to print.”
Thanks for commenting, IsraelP. I think that an unnecessary (to me, at least) expenditure of time, space, and resources are good reasons not to print.
I enjoy reading your blog. You’ve got great ideas, many of which I have used. I started going paperless in 2014, but I was worried about what would happen to my digital files upon my death. So I made a few calls to various societies and organizations asking in what format they would accept works of progress. I found many would not accept digital files but only finished works that had been digitized, but they would accept organized binders. So I’ve gone back to printing my family groups sheets with footnotes and placing pertinent copies of records in binders organized by family groups. Included in the binders is an indexed list of names as well as instructions to my family on who to contact at my death. I included a list of those organizations and the name of the person I had spoken with. I go paperless for everything else, but what I want to pass on is now placed in a binder as a hard copy.
Karen, thanks for your kind words! I admire your dedication to the legacy of your genealogy work! Thank you for pointing out this important consideration.
Is your electronic filing format detailed somewhere for public consumption?
David, I followed the example of Ben Sayer of GenealogyTools.com. Look for the section called “Set up folders on your computer” at this link: http://genealogytools.com/toolbox/.
I have been researching and gathering info for almost 35 years, so you can imagine the paper that has collected. Plus I was gifted a large collection of genealogy research done by an elderly distant cousin (who I also worked with) when he passed away. Several of my aunts have helped by giving me me “papers of family interest”. These are of family value, but my immediate family seems to have “no interest, at least not now. My problem now is that we have to downsize due to health issues and that is going to mean I will loose at least a whole room full of boxes. If I had the health and time to do it over I would love to have it all on the computer. But that is not going to happen! Now what do you suggest that one does with all the actual documents that valuable and files that are researched.
Heather, that is such a tough situation. If you have the financial means, perhaps you could have the documents scanned and then let them go. If they’re original documents of historical value, perhaps you could donate them to a local historical society or library. If you’re able to put your hands on the real gems, like family bibles or original vital records, perhaps you could pull those out and let go of the rest.
Do you have any way to communicate with extended family and offer up the papers to relatives? I really do feel for you and wish I had a more helpful answer!
That sounds nice, and I would do that if only I could find a reliable system of organising electronic documents on my had disk so I can find them again. As a result, though I have lots on my hard disk, I still print many of them out and file the paper copies, using my paper filing system described here: Genealogy notes and news: Search results for Research Data Filer
If you can come u8p with an electronic system that does everything that Research Data Filer does, I might abandon my paper files, but not before.
I’m going to print this out and give it to my father-in-law who prints EVERYTHING! Just kidding, there’s nothing I can do to stop him from printing and printing and printing.
Kelli, that made me laugh! Thanks.
Electronic files are portable! Who can carry around a box or two or three or a filing cabinet? A large 1 or 2 TB external drive is great.
Excellent point, David! How could I have left that off the list? Thanks for adding it.
My cat knocked my portable drive off of a table. Now my PC won’t recognize the drive. Any idea how I can save my data from this disk? Another reason to print.
My files are scanned and stored on my laptop computer. They are also copied to a folder on Dropbox (in the cloud.) And lastly, my laptop is backed up regularly to an external hard drive. I share my pictures and family info through a couple of closed groups (family members only) on Facebook. And in a couple of years, when I retire, I will begin turning a lot of my info into digital scrapbook pages, which I hope will help make my research accessible to a lot more family members.
I started doing this because when we retire, we will drastically downsize, move far away, begin extensive travel, and not be able to bring any paper files with us. I plan to be more active in my research, not less, so having portable files I can access anywhere (and share with distant family members) is important to me.
Until they decide to pull the plug on the internet. I just feel better knowing I have a hard copy of everything. Trusting a website to secure priceless data is just dumb, even if that website is huge today, it could be gone tomorrow. And electronic data deteriorates…files get corrupted. This is just a bad idea altogether. Documented history is such only because someone took the time to write it down.
Thanks for commenting, Sarah. If you’re most comfortable with hard copies of everything, that’s great. For me, the belt-and-suspenders approach of automatic backups to external hard drives and encrypted online backups is what makes sense. I hope and trust that all your hard copies are kept in fire-and waterproof storage if you’re not also backing up electronically.
I love your blog and particularly this post. The reason I do print out lineages etc is so I can see it better.
Recently got our Adams line back to Wm the Conqueror on Ancestry.com
Hook up with me and I’ll share
Thanks Julie. I just emailed you!
Good reasons, but consider what you will do when the computer crashes, or backup files get corrupted or destroyed, or the storage site you trusted online vanishes… or when there is no electricity. How to get to the information?
After all, all the information you use was written on paper.
I appreciate your comments.I think that redundant backing up is essential if you’re storing your information electronically. And I’m pretty sure that if the electricity goes out, I’m not going to be doing genealogy research! 🙂 Bear in mind that paper is vulnerable as well, to fire and water. In fact, I feel more secure with my documents stored electronically (with at least two backups) than if they were only on paper.
My only problem with not printing documents, is I’ve had 2 different external and internal hard drive failures, including a backup. After that, I have a trust issue as I lost a lot of work that I had to redo
I don’t blame you for having trust issues in that case, Kevin! That’s why I always back up both to the cloud and to an external hard drive. And that’s probably not enough to completely avoid the possibility of disaster. Thanks for the reminder.
I print items that might have legal ramification such as copyright permissions. And have redundant electronic backup for same and other. Still naming files for a later find is a real challenge here.
I can imagine that if you’re having trouble naming files for later retrieval that you get some comfort in printing out legal documents! In case it’s helpful, here’s a link to a post about my digital workflow that explains my file-naming protocol for genealogy (not legal) documents: https://organizeyourfamilyhistory.com/process-downloaded-document/. Thanks for commenting!
Hesitated to add my comment, but your link promises that it was well worth the time!