Your Own Space
May 15th, 2012 at 3:20 pm (Articles)

Some of us have been doing family history for a long time now and others are just starting out. Many of us start out working at the kitchen table, packing files from here to there. File boxes or desk drawers become fuller and fuller. Maybe it is time to make a designated work space.
When I first started working on my family history I was just this person, files, files, boxes, boxes. It just kept piling up and I ran out of space. Back in time everything was done the old way, on paper. And as you might have quested the boxes stacked up and up. I always said “One day I will have my own workroom”.
My children have now left home and “one day” is here. Now the work begins. I have to clean out the bedroom that will now become “my room”. I am trying to picture in my mind how I want this to work. I have a computer desk set in one corner and I will arrange the room around that. I have a book shelf that is full of genealogy books and bound copies of different family books and I have several photo albums housed there for quick and easy use. From there I will place a folding worktable and an organizer for all the little things, paper clips, tape, pens, pencils, highlighters, etc. A must is a comfortable chair to work from. Once you start working on your genealogy in a regular fashion you will find you are in that area a lot. Comfort will be your friend. Make the space work for you. Arrange your desk and surrounding work area so everything is close and easy to get to. This will make your life so much easier.
Next I have to sort everything. This will be the hard part. I have so much paperwork. Worksheets, contact information, forms, photos, etc. I am hoping to scan everything into a digital copy and save it on discs or pen drives. The great thing is once I have transferred my files to a digital form I will be able to share with others much more easily. If you do not yet own a scanner,flatbed or otherwise, be sure to add one to your list for future purchases. A scanner is a must. I own a flatbed scanner and for me this is the perfect tool. I am able to scan photos, pages, and books.
I have a filing cabinet full of information. I am hoping to digitize it all and minimize the space needed. I will create folders on my computer and as I scan the items file them on the computer. It helps to think about how you wish to file scans on the computer before you start. Each family name or line should have it own folder. In the folder you might add a subfolder for photos, another for documents, etc. This works well for me and I hope it will for you. If you ever have a problem finding a file you can use the “Search” task by clicking on Start, Search, what type item you are looking for and enter the file or name. Organizing and having a plan should help you save time and effort along the way.
One word of caution while changing over to digital files is to always backup your work. You now a choices in this as well. At any store that sells electronics you can buy a detachable hard drive, pen or thumb drives, or disc that the information can be burned on to. Also there are online “data banks” that allow you to upload you files as you go. The online data banks usually charge and you will want to investigate the charges and amount of space allowed.
These are a few suggestions. Remember the space is yours. Make it work for you.
Best of Luck!




