Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Exploring Evernote for genealogy

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Evernote logoI blogged awhile back that I wanted to start using research logs for my genealogy research. I have to admit, it’s been a bit of a failure. I found the Excel spreadsheet format I used constricting and then I didn’t remember to log my research. But I’m convinced it’s important and I want to refocus my efforts. This morning, I did a little Google searching to try to find suggestions for formats for research logs that might be more useful for me.

As part of that searching, I stumbled upon an article entitled Evernote: The Total Recall Research Log in the Winter 2011 issue of Forum, the Magazine of Federated Genealogical Societies. It’s all about on using Evernote, the cloud-based note management technology, to create and  maintain research logs.

I’m intrigued. I’ve used Evernote sporadically for a few years but have been wanting to learn more about it. As I’ve heard genealogy buffs extol its virtues for help with family history research, I’ve been meaning to explore it more. Today, I think I’ve finally activated that aspiration.

I downloaded the latest version of Evernote for the Mac. I updated the app on my iPhone. I entered my first note. I’ve read articles on the web. And if I feel I need a little extra help, I’ll download the Family Tree University on-demand video class, Using Evernote.

I think my interest in using research logs will dovetail nicely with my interest in using Evernote more for genealogy research. When I look at the Total Recall Research Log of Genealogical Research, which shows detailed research log entries in Evernote, I’m really drawn in.

Do you use Evernote to help you in your family history research? If so, how?

Help for my tired eyes

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Carson illuminated magnifier and desk lamp

One of many reasons that I wish I had started getting serious about genealogy when I was  younger (the #1 being that could have quizzed my grandparents), is that my 50-year-old eyes have a hard time with small type. When I print out census and other documents, as I’m prone to do, I find it challenging to make out the type, even with my reading glasses on.

A few months back, I bought an unlighted magnifying glass, which I use a great deal.

I upped the ante earlier this month and bought myself a Illuminated Magnifier and Desk Lamp. It has a goose neck, so I can angle and lower the magnifying glass. And the best part is the light that shines down on the paper. There’s also a little 5X magnifier if you need to get extra close. It reminds me of the magnifying glass you can use on Ancestry when viewing censuses online. It runs on batteries or a power cord. I take could see taking this with me to the library, though it’s by no means tiny.

I just received it last week and I haven’t put it to a whole lot of use yet, but I’m pleased. And I imagine it will come in handy for papers not related to genealogy.

A great resource for Ancestry.com subscribers

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I’ve been a subscriber to Ancestry.com for years but just this week learned about a resource there that I’m really excited about. In its Learning Center, Ancestry offers a Family History Wiki with some terrific information and links.

I learned about the Wiki while watching an archived Livestream lesson from Ancestry, on finding death records. I clicked on Vital Records at the top, then on the state I was interested in and simple as that, I got the information I need about the availability of vital records and how to go about getting them. In the past, my first choice in searching for vital records from a specific state has been Google. Now it’s going to be this Wiki. So far, I’ve used the Wiki only for vital records, but there are sections on census records, immigration records, military records, African American research, Jewish American research and more.

Much of the vital record information provided comes from the resource, Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. I’m so excited at how easily accessible the information is!

This is just one of the many reasons that I am happy to fork over $155 a year to Ancestry. I have found it to be an invaluable resource. I’m hopeful that their recent acquisition (as reported on Family Tree’s Genealogy Insider blog) by the European private equity firm Permira doesn’t affect the quality and accessibility of the content.

I clearly have not explored the learning opportunities available via Ancestry. Time to do more investigating of the Learning Center!

Just do something

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One of the goals of this blog is to help readers not feel overwhelmed when it comes to their family history research. I got so overwhelmed some years back that I stopped doing it all together.

I advise my organizing clients who feel overwhelmed to break the project down into tiny components and just do something, anything. I also suggest setting a timer for 15 or 30 minutes. Telling yourself you can stop when the timer goes off is a great way to get past that overwhelmed feeling.

With genealogy research, I’m usually eager to do the work, but sometimes there are so many options I can’t figure out where to start. “What should I work on today?” is a question I ask myself all the time. And if I don’t quickly figure out the answer to that question, the time slot I’ve set aside from research can degenerate into indiscriminate web surfing or watching of Project Runway or something on the Internet.

I was delighted to see in the October/November 2012 of Family Tree Magazine an article called Weekend Warrior that lists seven genealogical projects that can be accomplished in a weekend. The ideas in the article, like locate your family’s grave, solve immigration mysteries, find patriot ancestors in the Daughters of the American Revolution Database, will lead me on paths I haven’t explored before. And the article provides starting points for all those quests.

Even better from a “just do something” perspective is the article’s sidebar called “Quick Fixes,” which lists five genealogy tasks you can do in thirty minutes or less. Last weekend, when I wanted to sit down for just a little while to work on my research, I pulled out this sidebar and started searching for genealogy and historical societies and libraries from my ancestors’ hometowns. That particular task had never occurred to me.

If you feel overwhelmed when you think about doing family history research, please take my advice. Just do something to get the ball rolling and feel the thrill of discovery. Write down your findings (with sources). Then come back for more later!