Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Update on my paper busting

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At the end of last month, I confessed how I’d found a stash of unfiled genealogy-related documents and vowed to go through them for 30 minutes a day until they were gone. I also had a rather large library of genealogy journals I want to at least skim.

In the comments of that post, a number of you said you’d join me in this paper-busting challenge. I thought I’d write a post today to let you know how it’s going for me and ask how it’s going for you.

Overall, for me, I’d say the challenge has been very worthwhile. I went out of town on the 15th, but before that I did manage to go through paper every day, though some days it was for as little as 15 minutes. I managed to resist going down rabbit holes or chasing bright, shiny objects that appeared while I did this. I kept my eye on the prize.

The best part is that I’ve kept very little paper. Much of my time has been spent making sure that I either already had downloaded the documents I had on paper (particularly those from the fat envelope sent to me by the Alabama Archives) or looking for and downloading easier-to-read copies of those documents.

So I scanned a few papers but I recycled the vast majority of them. I’m almost finished with the loose paper, but I still have all those journals to go through. I’m fairly confident I can finish by the end of the month.

I’m here to tell you, this feels great. And I’m so glad that most of the time I don’t have to deal with much genealogy paper. As I mentioned in a post last week, this project has been making me appreciate my digital lifestyle!

Appreciating my digital lifestyle

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For the past week, as I promised I would in this blog post, I’ve been going through a largish stash of genealogy-related paper that I found when I went in search of some tax documents. I vowed not to continue my online research (where I print nothing and don’t have to process paper) until this paper backlog was gone.

I’ve spent 30 minutes a day reducing the paper pile ever since. I’ve recycled a lot and I’ve scanned some documents. (I’m proud of myself that I scanned on the spot, rather than creating a “to scan” pile to deal with later.) It’s starting to get kind of tedious, but I’m really thrilled with my progress.

But here’s the thing that really hit me these last couple of days. Dealing with paper genealogy records puts a real strain on my eyes. I had sent away to the Alabama Archives for the Confederate pension records of my second great grandfather, Laban Taylor Rasco (1844-1926). They had kindly sent a whole bunch of paper, most of it downloaded from Ancestry. I think when I received it, I was overwhelmed and probably daunted by the fact that much of it was comprised of black-and-white prints of documents that were on yellowed paper at the time they were digitized. Very hard to read. That’s why the papers landed in the pile.

I’ve spent the last couple of days with these Alabama pension records, looking to see which of them I already have on my hard drive and then going to Ancestry to download better copies of the documents I didn’t already have digitally. (And I’m downloading a bunch of new-to-me pension documents from that collection at Ancestry while I’m at it.) In order to compare what I have (or what I find) with the paper version, I have to squint, dust off my magnifying glass, or move the paper to better light in order to read it. My eyes aren’t getting any better with age and this not my idea of fun.

Once the documents are on my hard drive, I can simply zoom in on them to read them. So easy. So painless. And a huge reason I favor digital over paper.

This little project has shown several benefits already: A reduction in paper hanging around my house (yay!) and an appreciation for the decision I made several years ago to eschew paper. I’m so glad I’m doing it!

If any of you who are joining me on this quest have enjoyed some benefits, please share in the comments!

Taking a brief detour from digital to paper

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Earlier this week I couldn’t put my hands on a tax document I needed. (It’s nice to know that professional organizers have these problems too, right?) I tore apart my office looking for it (not a pretty sight). And in doing so I discovered a whole bunch of unfiled papers related to genealogy. What? I’m supposed to be all about digital genealogy. Where’d all this paper come from?

I put all the papers together in a container. (That’s a picture of it at the top of this post.) They appear to be categorized in some way. At least I think they are, because they’re in five separate plastic file sleeves, plus a few loose papers.

I also gathered together all my unread genealogy publications. I have a backlog of issues of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, NGS Magazine and the Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal. I have a bad habit of putting these publications aside when they arrive in the mail. But I know that at the very least reading case studies can be useful, so I’d like to dig into them.

I have no idea what treasures or clues might be hiding among all that paper. So I’ve decided to focus on the paper until it’s gone. Starting today. Here’s my plan:

  • Review the loose paper first, spending 30 minutes a day processing it until it’s gone. That might mean discarding or scanning and processing like I do other documents I find online. Or it might mean simply reading and taking notes (in Evernote). Or it might be a simple case of not needing the paper any more. (I’m hoping for some no-brainer recycling in there.) In any case, my intention is to discard the paper after it’s digested. I’ll feel successful when all the paper is gone.
  • Once the papers have been dealt with. I’ll turn my attention to the journals. Again, I’ll spend 30 minutes a day. I imagine I’ll take notes in Evernote. And I won’t be too surprised if I end up keeping the publications on a bookshelf (but we’ll see).

Does anyone want to join me on dealing with a paper backlog in February?

 

How They Do It: Lisa Alzo

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It’s back! I’ve  turned my attention back to my How They Do It series and and delighted to present this interview with Lisa Alzo. Lisa is a genealogy writer, lecturer and researcher who is very popular on the genealogy speakers’ circuit–I’ve had the pleasure of hearing her speak on several occasions. Among the many topics Lisa writes and speaks about is organizing genealogy research, so naturally I’ve been drawn to her! Lisa is a specialist in eastern European genealogy and is the author of ten books, including The Family Tree Polish, Czech & Slovak Genealogy Guide and Baba’s Kitchen: Slovak and Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions, 2nd edition. She’s also written numerous articles for genealogy magazines.

How They Do It - Lisa AlzoHow They Do It: Lisa Also

How long have you been doing genealogy? 

30 years

What’s your favorite thing about being a genealogist?

No matter how long you have been researching, or how many ancestors you have found, there is always someone or something new to discover.

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to organizing your genealogy?

Filing papers/documents. I am trying to move into a more paperless system.

What is your favorite technology tool for genealogy?

Tie: Trello for organizing ideas and projects and Scrivener for writing family stories.

If you were starting out new as a genealogist what would you do differently?

Not start with a female ancestor (I began researching my maternal grandmother) because females are more challenging to trace.

Do you keep a research log? If so, what format?

Yes. I use an Excel spreadsheet.

How do you keep track of clues or ideas for further research?

I create research boards in Trello.

How do you go about sharing your personal research with cousins or other interested parties?

Through my articles and I wrote a book about my family, Three Slovak Women. I write the blog called The Accidental Genealogist (started in 2006).

What’s the most important thing you do to prepare for a research trip?

I use Finding Aids whenever available to learn what materials are available at a library or repository and the procedures for access.

What’s your biggest piece of advice to genealogists in terms of organizing their research?

Break the tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces and find a system that works for you and stick with it.

Do you have a dedicated space in your home for doing genealogy research? What’s it like?

I have a home office because I am self-employed. But, because I travel so much to speak at conferences I often do a lot of my research on my MacBook Air – so my space is really my computer.

Do you have anything to add?

Genealogy is one part skill, one part persistence and one part serendipity. My genealogy motto is: Be serious about your research, but have fun doing it!

I absolutely love that genealogy motto! And I’m intrigued with her use of Trello, which I’m using more and more. Thank you, Lisa, for taking the time to share your insights. You can learn more about Lisa and her work at her website, LisaAlzo.com. Be sure and check out her blog, The Accidental Genealogist as well!