Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Allen County Public Library, here I come!

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I just registered for the August research trip to the Allen County Public Library, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana sponsored by the National Genealogical Society. After a couple weeks of contemplation, this morning I pulled the trigger on investing $750 on this opportunity to further my research. (I blogged a couple of weeks ago about how tempted I was.)

I’m really excited and I know I’m going to enjoy planning this. I definitely want to make the most out of the opportunity to research at this renowned library. I’m particularly thrilled about getting the help of professional genealogists who are part of the trip.

I would love any advice any of you have for me. What should I do in advance? What should I bring along? It seems to me that having a clear idea of my research goals is paramount; I’m already thinking about that.

Please share any advice you might have in the comments.

Thanks in advance!

Black History Collection free at Fold3 this month

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Fold3 Black History Collection free in FebruaryI’m a little late to the game on this, but there are ten days left in February. I just became aware that the Black History Collection at Fold3.com is available to all (subscribers or non-subscribers) this month. It includes over a million photos and documents from five eras (more information here):

  • Slave records
  • The Civil War
  • Reconstruction & Jim Crow Laws
  • World War I & II
  • The Civil Rights Movement

If you have African American ancestors this might be a great opportunity to learn new things about them! If you’re interested in black history this looks like a rich collection.

A tangible gift idea for genealogists

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A beautiful gift for a genealogy enthusiastLast week I wrote about giving clutter-free gifts for genealogists and had a list of suggestions, mostly of non-tangible items. But today, I can’t resist telling you about one of my very favorite pieces of jewelry, one that think would make a great gift for a genealogist.

It’s the Family Tree Necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs. I blogged about mine in September 2014. The necklace, I think, is intended to be worn by moms whose children’s first names are stamped on it. The one I ordered one for myself had my grandparents’ surnames on it instead. I love the connection to my ancestors I feel when I wear it. And I think it’s a pretty piece of jewelry.

My Family Tree Necklace, purchased in 2014, was made of pewter. I see that the current offering is in sterling silver. If you have a pendant-wearing genealogy enthusiast on your list, you might consider this lovely gift. Since the item is hand-stamped, I’m not sure if it will be ready in time for Christmas. But I’m sure it would be appreciated, even if the gift arrived in January.

Hint: If you sign up for Lisa Leonard’s email newsletter, you’ll be send a 15% off coupon (or at least that was the case when I signed up!).

Announcing new Orderly Roots guides!

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10 secrets to organizing your genealogy researchI’m very excited to announce the launch of a new series of downloadable pdfs that I’m offering for sale here on Organize Your Family History.  I’m calling the series Orderly Roots, and the first is now available for purchase.

The Orderly Roots guides give me a way to go a little more in-depth on genealogy organizing topics than I can on the blog. 10 Secrets to Organizing Your Genealogy Research, the first of a planned series of 10 such guides,  is available now!

Each guide is delivered as a downloadable pdf with ten pages of text. They sell for $8.99 each. Here’s the list of topics I’m planning so far:

I’d love your input on topics. Do any of these particularly float your boat? Are there any topics not on the list that you’d like to see me explore in an Orderly Roots Guide?

10 Secrets to Organizing Your Genealogy Research is hot off the (figurative) presses and I plan to make 10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started Doing Genealogy available this week. [Update: I just made it available for purchase!] The rest, I hope, will be completed by year’s end.

I’d love your input on topics and may create a poll to post on the blog. In the meantime, feel free to give me feedback in the comments!