Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Quick Tip #23: One source is not enough

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Here’s the next in my occasional series of bite-size Quick Tips. Click on the Quick Tips tag for my other Quick Tips. Because I tend to write longer posts, I wanted to provide a quick-to-read (and quick-to-write) post every couple of weeks on a small topic that pops into my head. This one is an important reminder that our genealogy research is a marathon, not a sprint.

One source is not enough

When you find a document that allows you to add someone to your tree or fills in a blank, remember that your search isn’t over. It’s always a good idea to try to find multiple sources for each fact. If you do that, your tree’s trunk and branches will be stronger and you’ll have more confidence in your research. Basing your research on a single fact can lead to wasted effort and a big clean-up project down the road.

Photo by Sam Dan Truong on Unsplash

Should you color code your files?

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Let me preface my answer to this question with one statement: You do you.

If color coding is satisfying and sustainable for you, go for it. Color coding (either of paper files or digital ones) can help you quickly identify what you’re looking for. But it comes with a drawback, in my estimation: extra work.

When I first started with genealogy back in 2001 or so, I created a color-coded paper file system. I bought colored folders and color-coded folder labels. I used one color per line (so four colors, one for each grandparent’s surname) and I created folders for each couple, with the folders for each surname and each line filed together.

I wasn’t a professional organizer yet, but I found the color coding satisfying.

That worked nicely before I ended up abandoning my research because I hadn’t sourced things properly. One of the reasons it worked out well is that I hadn’t yet done a lot of research so I didn’t have a lot of files. (That’s a picture of my file cart from back in the day above.)

When I came back to genealogy a decade later, I slowly transitioned from paper to digital files. And I didn’t bother using colored dots or any other type of electronic color-coding because I didn’t need to. Instead, I created a digital folder structure and a file-naming protocol that meant that I don’t have any trouble finding any of my digital files. I had to train myself to rename my files immediately after downloading them and to file them properly as soon as I processed them. That’s a solid habit now and easy as pie. Color coding would have been an additional, unnecessary step.

Once I started working as a professional organizer, I discouraged most clients from using color-coded files for fear that they wouldn’t have the right color handy when they needed to file. When that happened, they couldn’t file and piles would form.

In my view, if color coding impedes your ability to actually file, it’s not worth it. But if you love color coding and it works well for you, go for it.

If you’re interested in learning more about my folder structure and file system, check out my Orderly Roots Guide, How I Do It: A Professional Organizer’s Genealogy Workflow.

June 30 x 30 wrap up

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It’s the last day of June and therefore the last day of our current 30 x 30 challenge. I’m dying to know: How did it go? Were you able to research or organize for 30 minutes a day each day this month? If not, did the challenge encourage you to do more than you might otherwise have done?

I’ll be honest; I had a disappointing month. As I posted in the middle of the month, my husband was hospitalized for a couple of days on June 6 and that completely disrupted my month. He’s doing well now (much better than before he was hospitalized), but I had a difficult time climbing back on the horse. The highlight of the month was being able to research at the History and Genealogy Room of the St. Louis County Library. I was able to get through my list of documents I’d found online that were only accessible online at a FHL affiliate. I downloaded them and will be processing them for the next little while.

I’ll definitely want another 30 x 30 challenge soon…probably August. So stay tuned. In the meantime, please let us know in the comments how your challenge went!

Time for a 30 x 30 check in!

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It’s the middle of the month…how’s your June 30 x 30 going? I have to admit that I have not been as successful as I’d like (or as I was in April). I was doing pretty well until my husband was hospitalized for a heart ailment and that took priority over everything. So I didn’t research June 5 to 9. He’s home now and doing very well and I’ve gotten back into the swing of daily research. I just love how easy it is for me to research when it’s all so fresh in my memory. And I’m grateful for the challenge because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have jumped back in without it.

How about you? If you’re participating in the challenge, how is it going? Have you found daily research to be helpful? And has the challenge helped you stick with it? Please share in the comments!