I’ve owned a laptop for about three years now. As soon as I purchased it, I began taking it with me on the road because it’s designed to be used that way. In fact, much of Clooz was programmed on my laptop during my commute to the Pentagon and back (when I was still on active duty). Now when I travel, my laptop is never far from my side, and I use it routinely for research at libraries and archives both near and far.

At nearly every repository I visit, people approach me to comment on my use of the laptop. Most of the time, they say they have either never thought of bringing their laptops with them to research or they are afraid to bring them for fear that they’ll lose their research. (I’ve even been asked what program I use to keep track of my census records! Naturally, I replied that Clooz was a great program for documenting censuses and other research finds). But I always encourage people to bring their laptops when researching for a number of reasons:

• You can have instant access to your ancestors in your genealogy database.
  
• You can have instant access to your research calendar (if you keep one electronically).
  
• With Clooz, you can have instant access to the information in all of the documents you’ve collected on your ancestors (if you’ve entered the data).
  
• You can take notes electronically instead of by hand, avoiding writer’s cramp and the problem of reading your handwriting later.
  
• If you use an electronic calendar, you can keep your schedule on your laptop.

After a trip to Salt Lake City earlier this year, I asked several friends and professional genealogists for tips on using a laptop in the Family History Library. Those of you who are going to the FGS Conference (details at the FGS Web site) next month might want to take note of some of these suggestions in preparation for your trip.

In SLC, I noticed that a number of people did not realize that most laptops come with a place to attach a lock (they had rigged their own attachments). The FHL booklet advising researchers on how to prepare for a research trip at the Family History Library advises researchers to lock up laptops (that’s why I bought a lock.) I lock my computer and leave it for hours at a time when I’m at lunch, dinner, or working on a different floor. I was told, though, that in the past, someone had come through the library with a large wire cutter, snipped the wire locks, and stole laptops. In the future, I’ll put the machine in a locker when I’m away for a time. And I won’t work in a “remote” corner where it would be easy to take a computer. (Submitted by Claire Bettag, CGRS)

Before leaving for SLC, I make to-do lists on my laptop. I categorize and prioritize these so that I have the more difficult problems to work on in the morning, when I am alert; I have alternate, easier problems or index checking for later in the day or evening, when I am tired. I print these lists so that I have a copy with me at times when I am not near my computer. These lists include the items I have located in the FHL Catalog on www.familysearch.com. I also use FamilySearch online when I am working at night in my hotel room in SLC and as I update the to-do list for the next day. (Submitted by Paula Stuart Warren, CGRS)

I use a table in my laptop’s word processor to list entries in the indexes [from FamilySearch] to the records. Then, as I view the actual records, I add the results from that record next to the appropriate index entry. It’s easy to document both the negative and positive research results. I also note which index or record pages I have photocopied. (Submitted by James W. Warren)

The FHL is wonderful, as it is set up for the use of a laptop. It has enough electrical outlets to accommodate plugging in a laptop. There are enough microfilm readers to allow researchers to leave laptops connected as long as they wish to research. I do mostly client work on my yearly trip to SLC. I keep a file for each client on my laptop with time spent researching for that client, a research log, and notes as to what I found. The notes consist of indexes. I also keep abstracts of records that I don’t feel are necessary to photocopy. I try to keep the citation to the records in the file with a notation that I photocopied the record. A note about the condition of the record (e.g., dim, hard to read, missing pages) would go in this file also. (Submitted by Darlene L. Hunter, CGRS)

One item that has been very helpful on the last few trips is a laptop printer. We leave it in the room and can produce new or updated lists to assist us while in the library. (Anonymous submission)

As you can tell by the ideas presented here, laptops are useful at whatever facility you go to. So in conclusion, here are a few more bits of advice: Some facilities are more equipped for laptops than others, so look for outlets first when you arrive at a new repository. There’s no sense in getting comfortable only to discover that no outlet is available! Also, carry a short, grounded extension cord with several outlets so you can use an outlet that’s already full. This will help ensure that you’ll be able to use your laptop once you’ve brought it to the library.

Next week, I’ll explore some of the accessories that can help laptop users maximize their equipment’s functions.

Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS, is the managing editor of Genealogical Computing, editor of the Board for Certification of Genealogists’ newsletter OnBoard, the creator of Clooz—the electronic filing cabinet for genealogical records, and a frequent contributor to Ancestry Magazine. She can be reached via e-mail at liz@ancestordetective.com or at gceditor@ancestry.com.