by Chris
Pattillo
Are you
beginning to think about where all of your cherished photos, letter, documents
and other family mementos will one day find a home?
As the
Chair of the current Capital Campaign for The California Genealogical Society
(CGS), I have been hearing this concern voiced by many of the donors that our
committee members (myself, Jane Lindsey & Sandy Fryer) have met with
recently.
With that
in mind, here are 6 things you can get started on right now that will allow you
to begin preserving and sharing your family’s story:
1.
Label Your
Family Photos
We’ve
all got that big, messy and intimidating box or boxes of old, unlabeled photos
that we’re dreading tackling. Sorting them would be a great opportunity to kick-off conversations with your family, especially the grandchildren, and help draw them into their own family's stories.
2. Buy the Right Tools
 |
| Photo courtesy of Chris Pattillo |
We’ve
all heard that having the right tools makes any job easier, right? So, do yourself a favor and consider getting
these two essential tools that allow your scanning and recording endeavors to
be both mobile and easy to accomplish.
I
recommend a photo scanner and voice audio recorder. You will need to budget about $150 currently
for good quality items, but it’s really worth it.
I have
been very satisfied with both since they have regularly handled all of my
needs. When shopping, please be
sure to buy devices that enable you to easily
download files to your computer.
3. Scan Your Photo
You’ve
got your scanner and you’ve labeled the photos, so next it’s time to digitally
preserve them. When scanning an image, I use the JPEG format at 300 dpi.
In
addition to the boxes of photos you’ve scanned, you more than likely also have images
that are in photo albums or are framed.
What should you do?
Ideally
you should remove photos from their frames before scanning, but sometimes you
just can’t. In that situation I’ve scanned through the glass. The scan may not
be perfect, but it’s better than not having any copy of the photo. Another
option is to take a photograph of your photo with a camera. Again, this is not
optimal, but it is better than nothing.
4. Share Your Photos
You’ve
done the hard work of scanning and labeling, now share them and reap the
benefits of getting help from other genealogists, family and friends. You may have some photos that you can’t
identify, but asking your network might yield positive results.
A good
place to start is Facebook. Upload them
to your Facebook page or your grandchild’s Facebook page (if you’re confident
they will like it).
Not
interested in using social media? Go
low-tech and put the images on a flash drive and mail it to descendants. Either way, you’ve distributed your treasures
to those most likely to value them one day.
5. Collect and Explain Other Family
Documents
Don’t
forget about these other important sources of research material and keepsakes that
you or other family members are likely to have in your possession. By cataloguing these items, it might help
tell a story about family members or places they have lived. You’re providing context and this makes your
story much more compelling to the next generation.
Ideas
for collection are family bibles, photo albums, old love letters, school
records, newspaper clippings, business documents, yearbooks, and awards
received.
6. Record Your Oral History
Imagine
how you would feel if you could listen to a recording from your great
grandmother and hear her tell you about what her life was like. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
After
purchasing a digital recorder (covered in Tip #2) you‘re ready to start. Even
though you may not find your own life very interesting, someone will one day. How to begin?
Start by telling your own personal life history. Here are just a few ideas on how to create an
amazing experience for your descendants:
- If married or in a committed
relationship, describe how you met your spouse or partner.
- Describe your wedding.
- Talk about how you celebrate
Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan or similar holiday.
- It is better to record in several
short pieces, about 3 minutes in length---keep in mind that most people have
short attention spans.
After
completing the recordings, don’t forget to share your audio files via flash
drive, your blog, personal website, etc.
There are
many more ways to help you begin preserving your family’s legacy, but
these 6 tips will get you started off on the right foot.
Future Planning
Remember that
we have the expertise, resources and volunteers devoted to preserving your
family legacy. Let us help you
accomplish your goals.
Currently,
we’re developing a presentation that we hope to begin giving by the fall on
preserving your family legacy. In the
meantime, if you have questions on this topic or anything related to our
Capital Campaign, then please send either Jane Lindsey or myself an email. We’d love to hear from you! Thank
you.
Copyright © 2017 by
California Genealogical Society
