How to keep your family history organised: a 4-week plan - week two

Keep your family tree beautifully organised with Denise May Levenick's expert tips on gathering the supplies you need.

Plan for success by gathering supplies and reviewing the skills you need to efficiently set up your new filing system:

• Paper – You’ll likely need file folders and a filing cabinet, or dividers, sheet protectors and binders. A handheld labelling machine will create tidy, uniform folder labels. Coloured folders can help organise research by family line and provide a visual clue for faster filing
• Digital – If you are downsizing or need to conserve storage space, a digital filing system may be the ideal solution. You’ll need an up-to-date computer running the most recent operating system for your PC or Mac platform to ensure compatibility with security software and cloud storage services. It’s a good idea to keep at least one local backup of your digital files, preferably on an external hard drive (1 TB is adequate for most genealogy researchers)
• Both paper & digital – Many genealogists aim to convert and manage most research in digital format, but preserve heirloom originals physically in archival storage containers and digitally with master digital images. This kind of filing system needs minimal physical filing space, but should accommodate an expanding digital archive and provide for heirloom storage. You’ll need some filing supplies, either a filing box or cabinet or binders, as well as digital storage devices, and acid-free archival storage folders and boxes suitable for your keepsake artefacts.

Now that you have selected a system and fathered your supplies, it’s time to start getting organised. Join us next week as we how you how to organise your paper files.

Love learning about family history? Join us at Family Tree Live with everything you need for genealogy under one roof - you're sure to come away with lots of new ideas. Book your tickets now.

WEEK THREE: ORGANISE YOUR FILES

(image copyright EraserGirl)