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Post by imamess on Aug 5, 2015 15:11:59 GMT -5
It would be really nice to have all these things scanned so that people could go to the library and view them.
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momofacutie
New Member
I'm also under the user name Alexandra. :)
Joined: August 2013
Posts: 36
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Post by momofacutie on Aug 6, 2015 19:30:10 GMT -5
Can you scan some of the papers and keep an electronic copy only? That was EXACTLY what I was going to suggest! I just bought a brand-new printer on sale for $30, it's also a scanner and color copier, you can put things in .pdf format. I too have a LOT of genealogy papers. If you don't have such a printer, see if your local library has a copier with that capability. At mine it's free. Just bring your flash drive, scan, and save to the drive. I plan on doing this and shredding the originals.
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Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Post by Blackswan on Aug 8, 2015 6:01:47 GMT -5
Do what doctors do and law clerks. Tall shelves full of files. Go vertical! That's the only way really for the amount of paperwork you have accumulated and will.
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Post by imamess on Aug 8, 2015 8:31:53 GMT -5
I have a printer with scanning capabilities and a 'Magic Wand' handheld scanner. I've been very bad this week about spending quality time working on the paper horde. This weekend I want to clean the non-paper things, straighten up and try again starting Monday, with one hour per day just like I was going to a job. I do not have room for more bookcases and the ones that I already have a full to bursting. This is my never-ending battle.
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momofacutie
New Member
I'm also under the user name Alexandra. :)
Joined: August 2013
Posts: 36
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Post by momofacutie on Aug 8, 2015 10:34:10 GMT -5
I need to get CD- or DVD-RWs myself (not CD- or DVD-Rs, once you add data to those, you can't add any more). For now my info can go onto my extra hard drive (yes, I have 2).
My issue with shredding is that my shredder has to cool down every so often.
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Post by Di on Aug 8, 2015 10:58:18 GMT -5
I like putting info on a 64G memory stick. One of those can hold multiple families info. I've never managed to come close to filling one!!!! All your genealogy research in a 1/2" X 2" storage unit.
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Post by imamess on Aug 8, 2015 13:27:08 GMT -5
All your genealogy research in a 1/2" X 2" storage unit. That's a lot better than a 10 x 12 room full. I have an external hard drive, with lots of memory. I try to back my computer up at least once a month, since I have the historical society stuff that doesn't belong to me. Prior to purchasing the hard drive, I had stacks and stacks and stacks of cds for backups and memory sticks and memory sticks. It takes a lot of room for hundreds of pictures if scanned at a decent resolution to be able to make enlargements.
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Post by imamess on Aug 10, 2015 6:16:28 GMT -5
I've never seen a 64gig memory stick. Around here all I can find are much much smaller. Today I'm going to do at least one hour on the paper horde. It's taken over my life and I think about the Mongolian Horde a lot.
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Post by Di on Aug 10, 2015 7:39:26 GMT -5
Amazon has a 128 G flash drive for $30.00.
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Post by imamess on Aug 11, 2015 21:40:04 GMT -5
Sounds good. I bought another laptop and can't seem to set up my email. GAAA! I also must go out & buy Microsoft Office for Small Business so I can get Publisher. I use that software for the books.
I worked 1 hour on 5 deeds tonight taking notes. Ugggh! I still need to buy file folders to file when I'm done with them. Then I can pack them up and take them to the Historical Society archive storage.
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Post by imamess on Aug 15, 2015 21:26:46 GMT -5
Late this afternoon I worked on my historical society papers for a long time. I have two giant stacks rough sorted into two folders. I worked on the computer files for another couple of hours. I have another small stack to sort. At least I made a little progress.
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Post by imamess on Aug 15, 2015 22:13:05 GMT -5
I sorted my personal papers out of the mess. It was only a teeny tiny stack. I'm going to bed now. Gaaah! I hate doing this! I know there are more of these papers hiding somewhere. I'm going to find them all and deal with them by a week from Thursday when I have a publication meeting. They are going OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!!!
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oldgold
New Member
Joined: November 2010
Posts: 58
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Post by oldgold on Aug 16, 2015 21:38:42 GMT -5
Genealogical paperwork can take over an entire house. I have been working on my family history for over 30 years and now at the age of 75 I am beginning to wonder what is going to happen to the mountain of papers I've collected over the years when I finally drop off the perch. To clear my house of this clutter, preserve my family history and make things easier for everyone when I head off to that big family re-union in the sky this is what I am doing.
1. I have set aside an hour a day and everything I have such as photos, certificates,letters etc is now being labelled and scanned into my computer. I then back these up on two external drives for safe keeping. 2. After scanning the documents I then contact other people researching the same lines as me (via Ancestry.com and other genealogical sites) and offer them the original documents.
3. Everything that has been scanned and not given to another researcher is then put in a large plastic storage box labelled "To be donated to xxx genealogical society" and after twelve months that's where they go.
It's a long process, but just like cleaning up other messes around my house, a little bit at a time will get me there eventually.
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Post by peaceandfreedom on Aug 16, 2015 22:41:01 GMT -5
oldgold, it sounds like you are making great progress on your collection. I, too, have been researching my family history for decades, and I share your same concerns. I have a group of extended family members who all work together on our huge tree on ancestry.com and a website. We make sure that copies of some things are given to the historical societies in areas where our family settled and lived. Scanning is a wonderful invention! Keep up the good work, and keep us updated on progress or new concerns as they come up.
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Post by imamess on Aug 17, 2015 9:02:10 GMT -5
I've worked a little more on my horde and bought a pack of legal size file folders to sort through some of the historical society material, label it and get it ready to go out of my house Thursday Aug. 27.
My hip is not hurting very much now and I feel so much better that I am doing things in the house again. It feels good to feel better.
oldgold, I admire what you are doing and wish I could let go. If I had everything consolidated into a couple of books, my dd might want it but I'm sure she will not want the pictures, documents and paper horde that I have collected. After I conquer the historical society horde, I plan to tackle my personal horde this winter. Several years ago, I picked out the best pictures and made all my maternal cousins a scrapbook with pictures, who they were and how they were related to us. They seemed to really appreciate that. I didn't do one for me and I really should.
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