Genealogy - Storing Materials

What will you be storing?

For the beginner.

The books you borrow on Inter Library Loan. All you need is someplace where the kids and the animals will not damage them.

The books you pick up for your own collection. Think about cleaning off a shelf in the bookcase closest to your desk. Keep your eye out for a bookshelf for your books. That way you know where to start looking for the one you need.

Notes you take from whatever source. Three ring binders are fine for a while but consider a file box with family file folders. When you outgrow that it is time for your first file cabinet.

Documents. These need to be someplace where you can find them. Clear acid free sleeves can be picked up from any office supply store. The sleeves have holes for a three ring binder. If you use a different binder for each family they are easy to find.

Pictures. Ask about archival storage supplies for photos. The old photo corners are great. They keep the photo secure but easily removable to read the notes on the back. [Put the information you have on the picture.]⁽¹⁾

A flat surface. I keep talking about your desk. However the kitchen table works just fine. What you need is a place you can lay out a book, a piece of paper and something to write with.

Things that need to be filed. Set aside a particular place to put the things you need to file. Inside the filing cabinet in a particular folder is good.

Things you need when you go to the library/court house/archives/cemetery/etc. These will be copies of documents or pictures for reference. [Do NOT take the originals. A ten cent copy will save you reordering an official document or getting coffee on the family bible.] Family group sheets and pedigree charts. The notes you made of what you are looking for this trip. Think about a large manilla envelope. You can slip your notes in with what you brought or even make notes on the envelope.

For those of us who have been at this a LONG time

A room with a door. Remember the days when you could gather up what you were working with and stick it in a drawer?

A bookshelf all your own. Maybe two would be better. One for the books and another for all those notebooks full of family notes. You probably will not find a commercial bookshelf to take three ring binders but some two by sixes will make a backless bookshelf that will handle them.

A filing cabinet. I really like the four foot wide, two drawer, horizontal filing cabinet I found last summer. It holds the same amount of stuff as the four drawer it replaces. In fact I was able to add quite a number of family files. Another advantage/disadvantage is the fact that it is table top high. The printer now sits on it, along with the filing box, several books, the paper for the printer and two cats. However, I can see out the window and watch the birds at the feeder.

A computer desk. The computer is not a necessity but it sure makes record keeping easier. With 20,496 individuals in the database, the indexing feature is a godsend. Besides I love the reports PAF will generate.

A good chair to sit in front of the desk.

Picture storage. I was thinking of the original pictures, but a scanner makes the computer even more useful. A scanned image can be added to your information concerning a particular person in your database. It can be sent as an e-mail attachment to a cousin across the country.

Back to the paper photos. An acid free storage system is best. Photos fade in light. They also will permanently bond to those old photo albums with the plastic film over the sticky page. A cabinet with doors would be best to store them.

Computer station with assistant Home Genealogy Home Where to Start Doing Research Finding Records Budget Genealogy Genealogy On The Web Getting Help Finding A Class Software Scanning Pictures Label All Pictures Handwriting Translating Records Storage The same cat, about twelve years ago, assisting with bedtime. The kid never took naps so it can't be that.


	What will you be storing? For the beginner. The books you borrow on Inter Library Loan. All you need is someplace where the kids and the animals will not damage them. The books you pick up for your own collection. Think about cleaning off a shelf in the bookcase closest to your desk. Keep your eye out for a bookshelf for your books. That way you know where to start looking for the one you need. Notes you take from whatever source. Three ring binders are fine for a while but consider a file box with family file folders. When you outgrow that it is time for your first file cabinet. Documents. These need to be someplace where you can find them. Clear acid free sleeves can be picked up from any office supply store. The sleeves have holes for a three ring binder. If you use a different binder for each family they are easy to find. Pictures. Ask about archival storage supplies for photos. The old photo corners are great. They keep the photo secure but easily removable to read the notes on the back. [Put the information you have on the picture.]⁽¹⁾ A flat surface. I keep talking about your desk. However the kitchen table works just fine. What you need is a place you can lay out a book, a piece of paper and something to write with. Things that need to be filed. Set aside a particular place to put the things you need to file. Inside the filing cabinet in a particular folder is good. Things you need when you go to the library/court house/archives/cemetery/etc. These will be copies of documents or pictures for reference. [Do NOT take the originals. A ten cent copy will save you reordering an official document or getting coffee on the family bible.] Family group sheets and pedigree charts. The notes you made of what you are looking for this trip. Think about a large manilla envelope. You can slip your notes in with what you brought or even make notes on the envelope. For those of us who have been at this a LONG time A room with a door. Remember the days when you could gather up what you were working with and stick it in a drawer? A bookshelf all your own. Maybe two would be better. One for the books and another for all those notebooks full of family notes. You probably will not find a commercial bookshelf to take three ring binders but some two by sixes will make a backless bookshelf that will handle them. A filing cabinet. I really like the four foot wide, two drawer, horizontal filing cabinet I found last summer. It holds the same amount of stuff as the four drawer it replaces. In fact I was able to add quite a number of family files. Another advantage/disadvantage is the fact that it is table top high. The printer now sits on it, along with the filing box, several books, the paper for the printer and two cats. However, I can see out the window and watch the birds at the feeder. A computer desk. The computer is not a necessity but it sure makes record keeping easier. With 20,496 individuals in the database, the indexing feature is a godsend. Besides I love the reports PAF will generate. A good chair to sit in front of the desk. Picture storage. I was thinking of the original pictures, but a scanner makes the computer even more useful. A scanned image can be added to your information concerning a particular person in your database. It can be sent as an e-mail attachment to a cousin across the country. Back to the paper photos. An acid free storage system is best. Photos fade in light. They also will permanently bond to those old photo albums with the plastic film over the sticky page. A cabinet with doors would be best to store them.