Pam Journey, a genealogy friend of mine, is a whiz at organizing her records. Pam can look up any source citation on her genealogy software, then walk over to her massive collection of three-ring binders and turn straight to the original record. I should be so lucky.
This year, in yet another attempt to organize my genealogy, I’m in the process of digitizing as many records as possible, then maintaining a master file containing the name of the digital image as well as a brief description of the record. For this phase of the game plan, I’m just using my word processing program. (Image of Stillman Creek, Lincoln Co., Kansas – see below)
To help my efforts, I bought a scanner that came with the usual software, as well as an OCR (optical character recognition) package. Scanning with OCR software allows me to scan a text, then go in and actually make revisions or additions. For example, after I’ve scanned a page from a book or article, I can make notes, or digitally yellow highlight the portions of interest.
Phase 2
My second phase of attack is organizing the thousands of digital photos I’ve taken. Among the shots are those of tombstones, my hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri, family treasures, my genealogy travels, and places my ancestors lived.
In addition to simply indexing the photos, I want to caption and date them, as well as add any notes.
For example, when I was in Lincoln County, Kansas, I crossed a river that played a role in a 100-plus-year-old family story. I pulled the car off to the side of the road so I could walk back and take a picture up the river. A highway patrolman stopped behind me, thinking something was wrong with my car.
When I explained what I was doing, he stood in the road and stopped traffic in both directions so I could stand in the middle of the bridge and get the shot. Of course, that story will now become part of the photo—and my own family stories.
If you have more ideas, send them my way!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Nancy…there are ways of effectively digitizing without keeping an index of digitized files. That may have been applicable in the days when a file name was only 8 characters but now I would consider a separate index pretty much a waste of time. If you truly get into a digitized organizational system, an index with descriptions for 1,000′s of files would be extremely time consuming and probably not that useful. I actually started doing an index five years ago when I started a digital organizational system and quickly abandoned it as when I wanted to find something I did a Windows search rather than refer to my index. I also was in the stages of determining my naming conventions and file structure.
The key is to create Windows folders and subfolders representing categories (a binder or sets of folders) and subcategories (a subdivision of a binder or a specific folder) that make sense to you; name the file name with a meaningful name within a naming convention you establish for your system. For example, I might have a census as (Anderson_Alvin_1930Census) and place it in the the subcategory of Census under the surname of Anderson.
In Windows, files are sorted alphabetically which is one reason I always put the last name first for files that apply to an individual. For Marriages, I will put the last names of the bride and groom together with the blood related person first. For example (Anderson_Steele_MarrCert).
Windows allows you to search and create lists of files. You can get into boolean searches to search for pieces of file names not together. A simplistic search might be to see all records across category and subcategory folders for Alvin Anderson. Since my naming convention for most types of files is _, I would simply search for Anderson_Alvin and all individudal files for him would be returned. If I want to get more specific, I would do a boolean search. You can also add additional information or tags through the file properties if you so choose.
I only keep original paper documents and photographs. I have recycled all those non-original items after scanning, naming, and backing up and given away many binders and other filing materials. I back up on a portable hard drive and give my son a copy of my updated genealogy once a year. Some people may choose to use an internet backup service or keep a copy in their bank box.
Of course, as with any paper system, there are many layers to a digital system (people files, location files, downloaded historical books, preferred way of handling married woman or multiple marriage). With so many items being downloadable nowdays, it makes sense to get on top of a digital system and for the ambitious, replace all the paper files with digital files.
I love your bridge story. Have you considered starting a digital family history story book? I have a family history book started…one of those projects I need to get back to…where I use pictures to tell stories. Since I have only one child, I talk directly to him through my writing and try to personalize it with reference that are meaningful to him. I will also insert scanned non-picture information if applicable.
In my organization of photos, sometimes, there is id information or even a little story about the photo. I will scan the back of the photo, have the same beginning name of the file as the scanned front of the photo followed by “_id”. This is also useful if there is a photo with many people.