I've been working on this hobby seriously for about 1 1/2 years now. At the time, I read about organization, and most of the articles I found were how to keep binders. This is the computer age, and I'm a computer guy, so took some ideas from the binder based articles, but scan and organize all my stuff electronically on my computer.
I find the thing I like best about it is that if somebody asks me for something, I can just email them the document. However, I user dropbox too, and as others have said, having everything electronically scanned in allows me to access it no matter where I'm at via another computer or even my phone. I do keep any paper copies I collect, and have been wondering about the value of adding a paper based system as well. I've not convinced myself there is enough value in doing that so I've not done it. On Sat, May 28, 2011 at 8:44 AM, William Boswell <[email protected]> wrote: > Michele: > > I understand the daunting feeling. That's why I scanned all my documents and > photos years ago. I keep very few documents unless they are originals or > have some historic value. All copies get scanned then tossed out. Even old > negatives and photographs are scanned at the highest resolution and tossed. > Negatives, especially color, do not hold up very long. Black and white > negatives seem to last forever even ones that are about 100 years old. > > I still have several hundred negatives that need scanning so I know that > daunting feeling because I keep putting it off. Scanning negatives is very > boring and time consuming because you can't do much else while you're doing > it. > > Also, if you have any old audio recordings I suggest converting all of them > to digital. I did that for a collection of about 50 hours of audio > interviews done back in the 1970's and noticed that the tapes were starting > to degrade. They lasted nearly 30 years so I guess I can't complain. > > Bill Boswell > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 7:52 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [LegacyUG] Speaking of pictures > > Speaking of pictures... > > In the Marriage Record Webinar, Geoff pretty much said that he attaches a > photo (scan of a document) to every source he does. I have been thinking > about this. Right now I don't have any scans in my file and I have been > working in Legacy for 6 years (FTM before that). Since census records are > readily available, I just cite them. I do copy marriage, death, military, > land records etc. and I keep those in binders (I have a binder for each type > of source and then I file them alphabetically). I am trying to figure out > the wisdom of scanning everything into Legacy. I would love to hear your > opinions. I must say thinking about going back and scanning everything is > rather daunting. > > michele > > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on > our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > -- James Cook GED Utils, Ancestry Utils http://loosestacks.blogspot.com/ Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
