HOW DO I KEEP ALL THIS STUFF STRAIGHT?
by George Morgan

This is the moment of truth, so let's face it! It's a mess. It's out of control. And ...

You know what I mean. It's your genealogy collection. You've been so busy working on tracing the family tree that a you've killed a tree and it's laying in your house. Yes, admit it! You haven't filed in weeks ... maybe months. You have binders, file folders, labels and diskettes. But where do you start?

One of the readers of "Along Those Lines ...", Christine Cardone, just wrote last week and said:

"I am a beginner at genealogy. I have had a lot of success and need to get it all organized, as it is getting away from me. What do you suggest to keep everything simple and easy to locate? At the present time, I have everything in a 3-ring binder and an old accordion file. I am new at the computer, and would like to hold everything there, but it is unrealistic to lug this thing around to the libraries, archives, etc."

Christine, let's see what we can do.

As genealogists, we're faced with so many different types of information and materials. Records come in all sizes. There are small scraps of paper and receipts. There are large, unwieldy pension records, maps, and elaborate, oversize deeds. There are bibles, journals, diaries, photographs (framed, unframed, in presentation cases, etc.). Add wills, birth certificates, death certificates, diplomas, marriage licenses ... and the list goes on.

Then there are the documents that we, ourselves, create. Think of the pedigree charts, the family group sheets, the correspondence logs, the abstract forms for wills and deeds, and all of those computerized reports and charts we churn out!

How can you possibly store them all?

No one filing system works for everyone. Your genealogy is a personal thing. Depending on where your research takes you, and how you operate, your filing system will be based on your personal style . What I will do is suggest one basic filing system that may work for you.

One thing you must do is sort through your materials. Separate everything by surname. ALEXANDERs on the left, WILSONs on the right, and BALLs, FRANKs, HOLDERs, MORGANs, PATTERSONs, and the SWORDS all in between. Sort them all on the floor into surname piles.

Take each surname pile and sort its contents. The way you sort it is up to you. When I did mine, I sorted by first name, and then placed everything I had for one individual in chronological sequence. For example, for my mother (who was born in 1911), I arranged her materials as follows:

•  Baptismal records
•  School records
•  1920 Census
•  High school diploma
•  College records
•  College diploma
•  Marriage license
•  Newspaper clippings from activities in her life
•  Social Security card application
•  Letters (arranged chronologically)
•  Employment record (obtained when she retired)
•  Death certificate
•  Obituaries
•  Funeral home papers
•  Photograph of gravestone

Each of these items (depending on size) is inserted into an archival-safe sheet protector. Along with each item, I insert a homemade form that I call a "Record Source." On it I record what the record is, where it originated, where I obtained it (or where the original is located), when I obtained it, and any comments. If I have a copy of a page from a book, I print a bibliographic citation on the back and include a notation as to where the book is archived and its call number. If I have a copy of a census printout, I print a bibliographic citation on the back (with the microform number, reel number and page number) and include a notation of where the microfilm is stored.

Everything is then filed in a 3-ring binder by surname (maiden name does apply here) and then by first name. I also include individual photographs in chronological sequence if possible, including photographs of residences. This system works for me because I maintain records in my genealogy database program and include citations. If I want information about a person, I go to the binder.

I file a copy of all the family group sheets for that surname at the front of the binder for easy reference. From there, I can always quickly go to a spouse's surname.

Not all surnames I'm researching merit a separate binder. I happen to maintain two binders for Miscellaneous Surnames (A-L and M-Z). Records are stored there until I think it's time to start a dedicated binder for that surname.

You may choose to organize your materials by surname and then by family group. You may choose to file materials by surname and geography. For instance, I have one friend who files her materials for the KILROY surname first by surname and then splits them by Ireland and U.S. This helps her keep them straight. Your filing method is dependent on your personal style!

Some records, such as a marriage license or a photograph, involve two persons. How should you handle that?

My friend, DearMYRTLE, files copies of a marriage license with the husband's records and with the wife's. That way, she never has to go to a separate binder. She even does the same with photographs. I think this is a terrific way to handle the problem.

I use a homemade "Record Cross-Reference" form in many cases like this. It is particularly effective with group photographs. I find it too expensive to have multiple copies of photographs made. Therefore, I may make a photocopy of a picture against the "Record Cross-Reference" form. The form contains all the information on the "Record Source" form I mentioned before plus a line indicating the surname and first name of the individual where the original is filed. This works well for me.

I never, never, never take a whole surname binder with me to a library or archive. The loss of or damage to a binder and its contents would be a devastating event. Therefore, I maintain a separate binder for research trips. It contains a full pedigree chart with each person numbered. It also contains a full set of family group sheets printed from my genealogy database program. And I do mean full. I have family group sheets for every branch in every direction, not just my direct ancestors. They are filed in alphabetical sequence by head of household so that I can easily find them. If I locate a record for one person and want to know his wife's father's mother's maiden name, I can trace them through the binder.

I can always afford to lose this binder because family group sheets can always be reprinted from the database.

If there are specific records I wish to take to a library or an archive, I can make a copy before I go. The copy goes with me and the original stays home.

Depending on the type of materials you have, store them carefully in acid-free, archival-safe media. Photographs should be stored in archival boxes or in albums containing acid-free pages. Maps should be stored, rolled up, in acid-free tubes. Diplomas and other materials in cases can be stored in acid-free envelopes in vertical file drawers. Your investment in a vertical file cabinet will reap many rewards over the years in well-organized and preserved materials.

Again, the examples mentioned above are only one way to approach organization of your materials. Whatever you do, though, you have to take the bull by the horns and organize that mess.