Genealogy Organization….can you say those two words together like that?

     Some folks are naturally organized…everything they touch magically goes where it belongs with little to no effort on the persons part….then there are those of us who are a little lacking in the organizational department.  It is those OC (organizationally Challenged) people I would like to speak to today.

     Organizing your genealogy can actually be fun…once you have the right supplies.  Below are a few ways to organize your genealogy *stuff* that I have read about and/or tried.  At the end, I’ll discuss they way I organize my genealogy.

     3-ring binders.  You can use these to organize all of your genealogical documents.  Label each binder with a surname or more detailed for larger collections.  For example, your label may read “John Smith 1778-1850 to Jacob Smith 1504-1570″.  The advantage these provide is they may be stored almost anywhere; on a shelve, in a file cabinet, etc.  Be sure to place your documents in page protectors and number each page and then number each binder.  These numbers will help when placing your information into your database on your computer.  When entering your source, you can put the number of the binder, then the page number for easy reference for those time when you really want to see that document again…

     Filing cabinets.  You can set this system up the same as the 3-ring binder, only you’ll be using file folders rather than binders.  The advantage to this is that over time it will probably be a little cheaper.  The disadvantage is, it’s a little hard to lug around a file cabinet.  Although…another advantage would be that they do have those fire-proof file cabinets now….also, you can actually do a combination of both systems.

     I’ve also heard of another system, still using either binders or filing cabinets, in which you organize by event, rather than surname.  You put all events into folders to eliminate duplicate postings.  In order to do this, start with your first binder or file folder and label it with an event.  Then go through all of your documents placing the correct document in to the new file folder/binder you just created. 

     How do I keep track of my genealogy?  I’m one of those oc people…I’m still working on organizing my own genealogy.  I prefer the binder, organized by surname or detailed surname.  When I get to a point that two binders meet (Joe Smith marries Carolyn Jones) I put in a page that lists all marriages that connect to another binder, and list which binder to go to. 

     I have many file folders and boxes filled with years of genealogical records.  I will probably be working on this for years to come.  But remember, organizing genealogy records is an ongoing process.  Once you have everything organized that you currently have, you must continue to place your papers in the place they belong.

     Well…after writing this I feel like I should make a new binder or two…I’m going now to organize my Gilmores and Bordens!

Have a marvelously organized day!

GenLady

Filed under: Organization