How and where do you store your family history records and info?

Question

I have mine on PC and in a folder, but the folder is too full!

where do people store theres after doing geneology for years, I only started 3 months ago!

Answer 1

I keep all my documents in separate family notebooks. I use a genealogy program to store data and burn a cd just in case my hard drive crashes.

I have found that if I keep separate notebooks on each family line that it is much easier and keeps all my documents safe. Yes I have a lot of notebooks but if I want to go somewhere to research I only have to take one or two notebooks with me. I also use acid free covers for documents and pictures to protect them.

You just have to find what works best for you.,

Answer 2

I keep the tree on a genealogy website, and the hard copy records in a filing cabinet. Electronic copies of documents I store on the computer and have an external backup software, as well as stored on DVD. It does take up a lot of space, but if you think about how many people's lives are there, it is not much space at all...

Answer 3

Kelly, this is totally standard.  NO one believes what you will accumulate, when you start researching.  I use 3 ring binders for charts (one book for a surname?), or "core" notebook for a standard 4 generation chart.  I build off that chart... with a new notebook for the gr grandparents who have enough info.  Letters and bulky things don't work well in binders.. those go into files.  Stick with surname/ alphabetical.. it gets confusing if you try some elaborate system.  As long as you stick to STANDARD FORMS (family group sheets), it can always go alphabetical, either in binders or manila folders.

How much do I have???  uhh... 2  4 drawer cabinets, 5 or 6 milk crates, and then the stuff floating around, we won't talk about.  

My goal this year is sifting through and getting more into binders. I bought a scanner/printer, to scan the real DOCUMENTS (not all my notes), but the scanner isn't scanning.  

Let me yell this... ALWAYS ALWAYS back up your computer files, and store copies at a place aside from your house.  You can email a copy to yourself, if you use yahoo (it is stored on their server). Pretend you are going to have flood/fire/tornado/earthquake, and lose your paper copies and your computer.  I lost all my work, when a tree fell on a main power line, 200 miles from my house, and the surge fried my computer.  

Do I have all of this done?? No.  I spend time here, more fun to chat with you guys.  

oh I forgot... thumb drives are great, I have one that hooks on my keychain.  If I have to evacuate, I won't go anywhere without keys to drive.

Answer 4

I started out with a Binder for each family.

That grew rapidly into 1 file cabinet with a drawer for each family

Now I have 8 file cabinets with a cabinet for each family.

See what 8 years old Genealogy will do...! LOL...

I have a hanging file with the father of each family and  inside is the manilla file folder which each kid of the father and all their stuff in the manilla file folder for them.

and so on..

Answer 5

Named as one of Time.com's 50 Top Websites of 2008, I would suggest visiting http://www.geni.com. This free site gives you the basic tools for diagramming your ancestry, and it also lets you invite others to contribute. If you're serious about tracing your lineage, you should probably stick with Ancestry.com, Family Search and the USGenWeb Project for their vast digital archives, but Geni makes it easier — and more fun — than ever to create and share your family tree.

Answer 6

Paper copies of everything, since I began, 30 years ago, in a 4-drawer filing cabinet, a 2 drawer lateral filing cabinet and 1 drawer on my computer desk!

You don't even want to know how many real trees have been sacrificed for my family tree.

Family Tree Maker program on my desktop and laptop.

Backup Cd's of FTM files.

I backup every single time I work on the FTM files, as I lost a weeks worth of data, when my laptop crashed 3 months ago.

Ancestry.com account.

Answer 7

I can only add one thing.  I have emailed myself copies of all my data plus a copy of my gedcom.  I email the gedcom once a month and delete the older one.  I have had this email address for at least 15 years.  All other addresses like your IP come and go.  So get one email address and stick with it.

I keep everything in folders at my yahoo email account.  If my pc crashes at least I can still get to my backup and all of my photos and documents.  

I have scanned everything, all documents and photos and emailed them to myself  When a cousin wants a copy of such & such I just send it to them.

Answer 8

in filing cabinet,

computer,

paper,

folders,

scrapbooks,

books,

stuff like that.

Answer 9

Ah, the paper monster can be very challenging, best to get a filing system early on in your research.

There are many different methods of organization for genealogy.  You will have to decide which method best fits you.  A filing cabinet is definitely in order.   Here is my system as an example:

SURNAME FILE:   I use an expandable file you can get at Walmart and write the surname you are researching:  ie SMITH.  Since you will be researching many diffferent surnames, I recommend a color coded system.  You can get those folder labels with the different color stripe on top.  Colored markers work well also.  Assign one color to each family.

INDIVIDUAL FILES:  Then using regular manila folders, start a folder for each family.  Again, keep the color system going throughout.

Husband last name, first name

Wife maiden name, first name

Children to these parents get there own file, you could indicate a number on the label pertaining to their birth order.

Place all pertinent material in their respective folders.

Creating an index of your material in each folder can be helpful as well, make a master file on your computer.

I also create folders for the location I am researching and folders for genealogy forms so they are handy when I need to grab one(Family Group sheets, etc).  You may be entering this information onto your computer, but a print out in your folder is good if  you are bringing your files to the library.

You will find that these files will begin to fill up very quickly and then your next dilemma will be what to take on your next research trip to the library.

I created a Research Binder with tabs for each surname.  I put blank paper in each tab or typed on the computer what I was missing and put that in the binder.  I would print out a report from my genealogy software for each family and put in the binder so I could refer back to it while researching.  Taking just the binder to the library is much better than lugging all your files around.  Then simply transfer the information you found at the library to your folders(after entering into your software program) and cross off your "finds" for the day.  Of course, you will probably add more items as well!

Now onto the computer files.  You will probably want to create subfolders on your PC according to surname.  You will find that you can scan documents that create a .pdf file(Adobe).  Scanning your documents contained in your folders is good back up system in case something ever happens to your hard copies.  Any files you create or download from the internet can go into these computer surname files.  Purchase a good backup drive.  You can get the flashdrives up to 4mg or higher at any computer store or Walmart, they hold a lot of info and are easy to carry with you, but keep in mind, anything electronic can fail, so it's good to have at least 2 backup systems.  Especially scan the old photos, you can do much with them once they are in electronic format.

Good Luck!

Answer 10

If you can get organized early, like you are trying to do, is wonderful.  Eventually you might be like the rest of us and have piles of documents:)

1) Have a good genealogy software program where you can enter information and produce reports (I use FamilyTreeMaker)

2) Be diligent when you enter data and put your source (you will be asked for it)

3) Buy a file cabinet just for genealogy.

4) Make a folder for each family surname

5) Make a folder for each country/state (for general information)

6) Make subfolders on your PC for each surname (when you download or create a documents so you don't have to have a print out and therefore have to find a place to store it.

7) try to be as paperless as you can, by scanning non-original documents and putting them in your subfolder on the pc

8) BACK UP YOUR DATA (I lost pictures because I put them on a CD and the CD went bad)

9) Your genealogy program should have the ability to make a back up of its self. Do this and put it on a disk to store elsewhere.

10) Make a binder of your family information, instead of having folders, then store them on a book shelf.

11) Upload your genealogy data (GEDCOM) to an online site, such as gencircles or Ancestry.  This way, they backup the data and you have an alternate site with your data.

12) Try and stay organized throughout your research.  This way you don't get the inevitable "Piles" of information that you have to dig through when asked about it.

Good Luck and welcome to this great hobby.