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Genealogy is a hobby or profession for people who LOVE puzzles. Unlike other hobbies, you don’t need many supplies or products to start. Most people can start easily by using supplies and products they already have at home: a library card and a computer. Family Search and National Archives are for the most part free to use, and with a library card many people can access paid subscription sites through the services offered by their library.
But what do you do when you start receiving photos and family bibles from family members who have deemed you ‘the family historian’? Do you know how to protect these? Then at some point we realize it is best to have hardcopy versions of our online documents and sources because we might not always have online access to these. How do you organize all that paper?! Here I’ve compiled suggestions for supplies and products to consider adding to your basics. Most I’ve tested or use myself, or have received recommendations from trusted colleagues.
Scanners
I love my Epsom flatbed scanner! I’ve had two over the past 15 years, getting rid of the older one only when the software was no longer supported. This is the updated version of the scanner I have and use. Its a fairly basic scanner but does everything I need.
If you’re looking for one that has more robust offerings a colleague recommends this version. Its also an Epsom, has a higher price point, and has many more options than the version I have and use.
I also have and use a portable wand scanner for times when I’m not able to bring my cell phone with me. This takes a little practice to get the timing of moving the wand correctly, but works really well for photo albums, and in libraries. It scans directly to a memory card so no computer is needed. This particular brand includes a 16GB card.
Lastly – I’ve recently started using the CamScanner app on my android phone. This is a good option and is super handy as my phone is almost always with me. The app was originally recommended to me by a fellow D.A.R. member.
Photo Storage
I inherited hundreds of old photos when my grandmother died. Some from circa 1915 and I needed an easy way to organize and protect them. I love this case! I was able to sort the photos by decade and put one decade in each box, then chronologically organize the individual boxes in the case. The plastic used is BPA free, acid free, PVC free, AND lignin free – all very important to avoid when protecting photos. In addition, none of the containers are airtight which allows the photos to ‘breathe’ a bit.
You can also get a paper box instead of plastic for storing photos. Pioneer Photo Albums has a good one for short money. This box also is acid, lignin and PVC free. There are no internal compartments or separators so you’ll need to devise a method for organizing within the box itself.
The gold standard of products for preserving documents and photos for most genealogists are made by Gaylord Archivists (#ad). This company is the leading provider of preservation & exhibit solutions and is used by many museums & libraries. I first learned about them from a person at a local historical society while doing research. The options offered are almost endless and can be 100% trusted to be free from ingredients that may harm paper or photos. Among their offerings Gaylord has boxes, kits, and archival sleeves (#ad); all designed to treat your family heirlooms as if they were in a museum.
External Drive storage
Don’t trust your research or photos to a flash drive or an SD card; both of these are made for ‘temporary’ storage. One rule of thumb I’ve heard many time is to have at least three copies of important work. There are cloud based storage companies you could use, but I prefer to keep at least one copy on an external hard drive, as it has been said to be the most stable of current options. I purchased this 8TB Seagate External HDD drive in 2019 and regularly back up my entire computer to it on a weekly basis. So far, so good. When I need a new version, I’ll be getting an SSD rather than a HDD, but for now what I have works.
Paper and note organization
First lets start with note organization – I’m NOTORIOUS for falling in love with a planner, notebook or bound note system only to fall out of love within the first 2 or 3 weeks. There’s only ONE style notebook I have consistently gone back to again and again, and its the 8.5″ x 5.5″ dotted composition book. Its big enough to write real words and sentences, the dots keep me writing in a straight line, but allow for lots of freedom to ‘go outside the lines’. There’s no date to feel guilty about, I can use each page the way I need to today (because tomorrow I will need to do it differently), the smaller size fits nicely on my desk and in my bag, the flexible cover means I can fold the book in half and there’s no spiral binding getting in the way of writing. So I have given up on all other planners, notebooks, systems and just get these in bulk which keeps the cost down. I landed on this company because the paper is recycled, but still bleed proof.
AND if you want a nice cover to put on the plain jane notebook (for when you meet clients), I found this beautiful leather one and ITS AWESOME!! What I like best about it is that for every purchase made, the company gives a percentage of the profits to Tehila, which is a charitable trust based in Zambia, Africa, that works to prevent and protect children from abuse. The journal arrives beautifully wrapped and as each one is handmade no two are ever alike. Each is different and unique.
When I’m researching, each project gets its own book for notes, then when I’m ready to file papers by family I can tuck the above books into a pocket folder within a three ring binder. Each family has its own binder, and when someone marries in or out of the family, I make a note on the cover. Below is a list of the products I gravitate to when organizing family papers (#ad).
- Amazon Basics D-Ring Binder – 1.5 Inch, 4-Pack
- for keeping a family’s papers together
- Amazon Basics Paper Binder Dividers, Writeable 8-Tab, 4/Pack
- for creating dividers for each person within the family
- Amazon Basics ¾ Inch 3-Ring Binder
- a smaller brighter folder for traveling to the library
- Five Star 4 Pocket Folders, 2 Pocket Folders Plus
- folders to hold items that are smaller or can’t be hole punched
- Oxford Clear Front Report Covers, Assorted Colors, Letter Size
- used for reports that are given away
I’ve been trying to keep up with printing out images of documents and filing these away, but with a 7 yo and a 18 mo old doggo, filing is always last on the to-do-list. I tend to keep documents sorted by person, so an entire story is together. If documents are shared between people (example marriage certificate) I will keep the paper in the male’s section, and make a notation for the woman.
Writing instruments
Last items – I’m a collector of pens, pencils, markers, etc. I love having options to write with – and colors make me happy. But I’ve found that the best tool for writing when researching is a #2 mechanical pencil. I can write fast, scribble, erase and draw with pencil. BUT if I’m going to use pen, my go to pens are the new Frixion pens from PILOT because the ink is erasable. and it really erases! (not like the one’s i had in high school). I also like that the Frixion pens work with RocketBook reusable notebooks. I use my RocketBook at almost every Genealogy conference I attend because its one notebook to carry around: I write, scan in my notes, wipe them away and reuse the paper. Very eco-friendly, and lightweight.
What tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
Pop a comment below and start the conversation!
Tracing My Tree, Finding My Roots 