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Saving Your Genealogy from Destruction – Episode 10 (Elevenses with Lisa)
Live show air date: May 28, 2020
Episode 10 Video and Show Notes
Join me for Elevenses with Lisa, the online video series where we take a break, visit and learn.
This episode includes an interview with Faruq Tauheed, host of the NBC TV series Roots Less Traveled. Faruq shares what caught his interest about genealogy (as someone with no previous experience) and his favorite stories from the show. Our families are full of folks who have never had an interest in genealogy. And that makes the job of ensuring your genealogy research will be passed down even more difficult. That’s why in this episode we are tackling the subject how how to ensure that your research doesn’t end up in a landfill after you’re gone. We will cover tangible things you can do today. Scroll down for all the show notes and details. Then, in our next episode, we’ll discuss ways to get your relatives on your team to preserve the family history.
Today’s Teacup: Lyme House mug
Click here to learn more about Lyme, the home that “played the part” of Pemberly, the home of Mr. Darcy in the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice.
Genealogy News
MyHeritage Facebook Live with Lisa Louise Cooke
June 3, 2 P.M. EDT
Topic: Fabulous Photo Discoveries at MyHeritage
Speaker: Lisa Louise Cooke
Description: Lisa Louise Cooke, founder of the genealogy research website Genealogy Gems, will illustrate the incredible potential of MyHeritage’s Photo Discoveries™ feature.
From You:
Alexis writes:
I am absolutely loving the tea time shows!! Thank you for all of your work and for sharing it with us. I love the pictures and antiques in your office. So inspiring! I hope to have an office like that one day. I wanted to send you this picture of my girls and me having a tea party with you. We had milk and cookies. I don’t usually let the girls use the toy set for real food but I made an exception! The girl’s didn’t listen super well but I try to catch up on the show when I can. Thanks again for doing this!
Interview: Faruq Tauheed, Host of the NBC TV series Roads Less Traveled
Faruq Tauheed is the host of the new NBC series ROOTS LESS TRAVELED. Each week, Faruq leads a new pair of multigenerational family members who bond on a joint quest to learn more about their family history. In partnership with Ancestry, the series will feature relatives as they set out on an adventure to solve mysteries in their family tree. The show is adventurous, educational, inspiring and very often emotional. Faruq is best known as the ring announcer on the uber-popular Discovery Channel series BATTLEBOTS.
Click here to visit the Roots Less Traveled website where you can watch past episodes.
How to Save Your Research from Destruction
From Diana in the video comments at YouTube:
Save your research from destruction? Yes please for a topic. Greatly moved by your words and clip at the end. Even though I am in Australia now, all my family are from the UK and my parents were young kids living outside, or evacuated from, London during the war. Stay brave!
From Julie K in Live Chat:
I’m afraid that if I don’t have paper, my genealogy will get pitched with my laptop when I’m gone.
From Deborah:
That’s my question too – they might not even know that it’s there or want to bother with learning how to use it.
We’re tackling these questions in this week’s episode.
Don’t let your lifetime of genealogy research end up in the landfill! I’m sharing key strategies for securing the future of your research, including designating a “research keeper,” setting up a Genealogy Materials Directive, and making donations with a Deed of Gift. This episode will help you put a plan in place to ensure the survival of your family history.
Getting and Staying Organized
Don’t allow your research materials to become a burden in the future for others or they will be at risk. Research that is piled high and disorganized will look like a candidate for the recycle bin to the non-genealogist. Research that is neatly stored in binders or clearly labeled boxes will demand the respect it deserves.
Physical files
I use 3 ring binders, with custom printed spines and acid-free sheet protectors. Tabs in the binder separate my materials by head of household, mirroring my digital files.
Watch episode 6 on organizing your genealogy paper.
Genealogy Notes
Cloud note-taking services such as Evernote <www.evernote.com> or OneNote provide a way to collect, store and retrieve any type of file (typed, handwritten, clipped from the web, audio recordings, photos and videos). These services use the Internet to synchronize your notes across all of your computing devices. Each has a free version, and there are more robust subscriptions plans available as well.
Watch episode 9 to learn more about using Evernote for genealogy.
Protecting Your Files with Cloud Backup
The final step to organization is ensuring that all of your digital files are backed up automatically. I use and recommend Backblaze <www.backblaze.com/Lisa> and there are other online backup services as well. These services accomplish some critical backup goals: redundant, off site, and automatic (set it and forget it) backup!
Watch episode 7 to learn more about Cloud Backup and organizing your data.
Get it on Paper with a Genealogical Materials Directive
The future is unknown and illnesses can come on unexpectedly. Don’t wait another day to keep your research safe and secure for years to come. Take small steps each day toward ensuring the security of your research.
Create a Genealogical Materials Directive with the help of your family attorney that you include with your will to ensure that your wishes for your research materials will be followed. A directive outlines what you have, what you want done with it after you are gone, and identifies all the people involved in that process. Then give it to your family attorney for any legal modification or addition that he or she may suggest and include the directive with your will.
Click here to download my free Genealogical Materials Directive.
Identifying Your Research’s Keeper
Talk to your relatives and determine who will be willing to care for and distribute your research. They don’t need to be a genealogist. Give them a copy of the Directive so they will be fully informed and prepared to follow through with your wishes.
Preparing Now for Future Donations with a Deed of Gift
Start researching archives and societies to determine which would most benefit and be interested in your materials. Think about locations as well as families. Contact the repositories and make the appropriate arrangements. Then clearly outline those arrangements in your Directive.
Many organizations will have their own forms for donating materials. A Deed of Gift is a formal legal agreement that transfers ownership and legal rights of your research materials to the repository that you are donating them to. It is in everybody’s best interest to state the agreement on paper and make it binding. A Deed of Gift is signed by both the donor and an authorized representative of the repository.
A Deed of Gift may include other issues that are of interest to the repository. Have them all thoroughly explained to you. If you have any questions about the language of the deed of gift, it’s a good idea to check with your attorney.
If you are considering giving your hard-won genealogy research to an archive or library, there are two great brochures available from the Society of American Archivists that can help you through the process.
Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository: www2.archivists.org/publications/brochures/donating-familyrecs
A Guide to Deed of Gift: www2.archivists.org/publications/brochures/deeds-of-gift
Society of American Archivists
17 North State Street, Suite 1425, Chicago, IL 60602-3315
Telephone: 312/606-0722
Email: info@archivists.org
FamilySearch’s Gifts Donations and Loans Guidelines
For more information call: 1-866-406-1830
Final Thoughts
Share this image with your friends on social media.
Please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on the the following questions:
- Have you implemented any of the ideas shared in this episode?
- What do you think the biggest obstacles are in passing down the family history you have assembled?
- Do you have a question about saving your research from destruction and gaining support from your family?
Episode 9 Elevenses with Lisa Show Notes – Evernote Organization
Join me for Elevenses with Lisa, the online video series where we take a break, visit and learn.
In this episode I share viewers’ family tree display, the latest genealogy news, answer your questions about my genealogy organization method, and show you how I file use Evernote and cloud notetaking in conjunction with my organization system. (This series on genealogy organization began with Elevenses with Lisa episode 6.) Scroll down for all the show notes for this episode.
Today’s “Teacup”
About a month ago YouTube alerted that our Genealogy Gems channel had qualified to have a merch store. I couldn’t resist the temptation to create a mug of our very own for our time together each week!
The Elevenses with Lisa mug is now available here.
Elevenses with Lisa Merch availabe at the Genealogy Gems Store on YouTube
Genealogy News:
Free Access to Military Records and Yearbooks at MyHeritage for a Limited Time
In honor of Memorial Day, MyHeritage is offering free access to all if their military records from May 20–26, 2020. The MyHeritage collection consists of 57 million records and includes draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and other military documents from North America and around the world, dating back to the American Revolutionary War in the late 18th century.
Remember, Colorized U.S. Yearbooks are available at MyHeritage for free through May 23, 2020.
From You:
Linda wrote in this week and shared her family history display. She said her daughter-in-law started it in 2009 and she took the ball and ran with it, and she even added family photos.
“I am really enjoying your Elevenses videos.”
Linda’s Family Tree Display
Organizing Your Genealogy Files Q&A
From Lynnette:
Q: I have my “working” tree on Family Treemaker 3–a very old version and not supported now. Can I make a GEDCOM from this program to upload into Roots Magic?
A: Yes!
From Barbara:
Q: By “master database” do you mean, e.g., My Heritage or Ancestry?
A: The buck stops with you.
Click here to listen to Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #229 to hear more on the importance of a genealogy master database.
From C Davis:
Q: How will your family know how to use your genealogy database, let alone program name?
A: It’s the same challenge your passwords, bank accounts, etc. The Family Heirloom Tracking Binder offers a solution. Download the template from Elevenses with Lisa
Episode 6 Show Notes here.
From Janice
Q: So, if you have recent documentation(not available online) for living people, like birth certificates, do you save those in a binder?
A: You can. I have mine in easy to grab folders with “official documents” in my file cabinet.
From Robin:
Q: Do you download and save the census docs from the main sites like Ancestry and FamilySearch – as those are not most likely going to close and can be retrieved anytime…
A: Absolutely! Click here to read my article “If My Ancestry Subscription Expires, What Happens to My Tree?”
From Linda
Q: What year do you put first? Is it the birth year of the person or the date and place of the photo?
A: The year and location of the photo.
From Robin:
Q: Why do you use underscores in your file names?
A: It’s not necessary. Nice for spacing.
From MargtheCar
Q: Does Evernote work if the URL is behind a paid wall?
A: No. You will be prompted to log in to the website.
From BeeMelo
Q: What kind of scanner do you use?
A: My scanner: The Epson Perfection V550 Photo flatbed scanner. (I LOVE this scanner! It can do the high resolution I need for all my projects. If you decide to buy online, I appreciate it when you use my links because we will be compensated at no additional cost to you. This helps support this free show.)
Organizing Web Information with Evernote
- Note-taking software is your active research.
- Final archiving of documents: on your hard drive backed up to the cloud.
Select a free note-taking tool such as:
- Evernote
- OneNote
Benefits:
- Web Clipper built in
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
- Syncing across devices
- Note restoration to a new device
- Free software, mobile app
- Universal use
Get the Evernote Web Clipper from your browser’s app store.
Types of Notes: typed, handwritten, audio, photos, videos, drawings.
Don’t Print, Clip!
Types of Tags I recommend:
- Record Type (ex. Census)
- Surname (ex. Jones)
- Locations (ex. Minnesota)
- Action to be taken (ex. Follow Up)
- BSO (AKA Bright Shiny Object!)
The options are limitless!
Resources:
25% Genealogy Gems Premium Membership
Terry asked: When do you typically have a sale for your prime membership?
So I created a special discount coupon code for you. Now through May 27, 2020 get 25% off with the coupon code ACTION25
- Read my free updated article Evernote vs. OneNote, Free vs. Paid, What’s a Genealogist to Do?
- Learn much more about strategic web clipping with Evernote in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode #101
- Evernote for Genealogists Quick Reference Guide by Lisa Louise Cooke in the Genealogy Gems Store.
Stay Smart, Stay Brave
I always think very carefully about what I want to say to you each and every week, and particularly how I close each episode and the thoughts that I leave you with. Lately, it seems like everyone says “stay safe” particularly as they say goodbye or end an email. I’d just like to share a few thoughts with you about this phrase. “Be safe” implies fear, and when fear kicks in, it replaces reason. “Be safe” also implies that it’s attainable in this life, and it’s not really possible to be completely safe.
I like more empowering salutations like “be smart”, “think, and make good decisions for yourself”, and “be brave”.
At the end of episode 6 I told you that I believe that not knowing your family history is like arriving 60 minutes into a movie and expecting to understand the story.
Family History is Knowing the Full Story – Lisa Louise Cooke
And of course if we know this story then we can also help our kids and our grand kids know theirs. And that’s so important for children to hear about the adversity the family has faced and how it overcame it. This helps them be resilient. This current adversity we face, like all adversity, is temporary in nature, and will evolve. We have the opportunity to help the kids in our lives understand that and gain a longer range perspective. (Click here to watch my conversation with New York Times best-selling author and television personality Bruce Feiler on How Family History Creates Happy Families.)
This is SO on my mind because my family is my number one priority. So, I’ve been looking carefully again at my family history these last few weeks, and I noticed something very interesting about my ancestors. None of them appeared to be preoccupied with staying safe.
In fact, there were an overwhelming number of brave and hard-working people in my family. So this week, consider taking an inventory of your family, and cultivate the simple stories of bravery and persistence that exist there in your family tree.
With Memorial Day approaching this weekend here in America, it’s a timely reminder that we are a country with a rich history of risk-taking and bravery, particularly in the name of freedom. So I’d like to end this episode with a short video I produced a few years ago that pays tribute to the very brave men and women who have served their country, featuring an historical author who happens to be from the other side of the ocean.
Stay wise, stay brave, and thanks so much for watching friends.
Note: Author Chris Cleave was my guest in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 139. Premium Members can click here to listen now.
Click here or the image below to get your copy of this wonderful book:
From New York Times bestselling author and Genealogy Gems Podcast guest Chris Cleave.
I’d Like to Hear from You
In this episode I encouraged you to leave your comments in the Comments section below the video on YouTube. Silly me, I didn’t realize that the Comments section doesn’t appear under the Live video because there is a live chat in progress. It only becomes available after the show has ended and the video replay is posted. However, I thank all of you who left comments in the Live Chat about what you would like to talk about in future episodes of Elevenses with Lisa. Two topics I suggested were How to Save Your Research from Destruction and Using Google Photos for Genealogy. Please leave a comment below to let me know what you would like to hear about and learn about in upcoming episodes. And of course I welcome your questions. Thanks for watching!
Free Access to Military Records and Yearbooks at MyHeritage for a Limited Time
Here’s some great new. In honor of Memorial Day, MyHeritage is offering free access to all if their military records from May 20–26, 2020.
Click here to get started, then in the menu click Research, then click Military.
May 20 through 26, 2020.
MyHeritage Military Records
Many of us may have a relative or ancestor who served in the military. We invite you to pay tribute to these heroes and honor their legacy by learning more about them through military records.
The MyHeritage collection consists of 57 million records and includes draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and other military documents from North America and around the world, dating back to the American Revolutionary War in the late 18th century.
MyHeritage Facebook Live Events
MyHeritage is also hosting 2 Facebook Live events about military records in the coming days:
Searching Military Records on MyHeritage
Tune in TODAY, May 20 at 1 P.M. EDT to learn how to leverage MyHeritage’s vast collection of military records to learn more about your family history.
Breaking Through Brick Walls with Military Records
On May 24 at 1 P.M EDT, you’ll learn how to use military records to break through brick walls in your genealogy research.
Follow MyHeritage on Facebook to tune in live. You can also watch the recorded sessions later on, and check out the full list of our online events in May and June.
Lisa Louise Cooke, MyHeritage Facebook Live, June 3, 2 P.M. EDT
Topic: Fabulous Photo Discoveries at MyHeritage
Speaker: Lisa Louise Cooke
Description: Lisa Louise Cooke, founder of the genealogy research website Genealogy Gems, will illustrate the incredible potential of MyHeritage’s Photo Discoveries™ feature.
U.S. Yearbook Records Now Free and in Color
Following the release of the highly popular MyHeritage In Color™, we’ve colorized the entire MyHeritage U.S. Yearbook collection on MyHeritage. This collection includes 290 million names in 36 million yearbook pages, spanning from 1890 through 1979. You can now see colorized versions of your ancestors’ black and white yearbook photos next to the originals. To celebrate this moment, we’re offering FREE access to our U.S. Yearbooks through May 23, 2020.
