1: Gather Your Records   2: Gather Records from Others   3: Interview Relatives   4: Prepare Uploads   5: Add Photos (MH)   6: Photo Albums (MH)   7: Photo Enhancements (MH)   MH Project 3           Translation Tips    Music   Print Friendly and PDF   











Project 3: Documents and Photos


Goal 1: Gather Your Records



Goal 1: Gather and safeguard your own important personal records. Vault


Preserving your own personal records gets you off to a good start and helps you protect your valuable information.


Choices


A Gather your own important records.


Class Outlines:    Basic


Summary
  1. Locate and safely store your birth certificate, religious records, marriage certificate, legal documents, etc.
  2. If you are missing any important records, arrange to get replacements of them.

Resources
  1. Here are some helpful ideas for gathering your own family history records.

    FS—Gather Family Information
    Gathering Home Sources—3:38 - 2020



  2. Keep a journal to capture events in your life and personal reflections.
    See Choice C in Project 2: Memories, Goal 9 for details.
Exercise


B Gather photos and documents you have of your ancestors.


Summary
  1. Record what you know from records and sources easily available.

    BYU—Creating a Family Archive (19:00) - 2014   



  2. Learn how to find the treasures in family records that are in your possession.

    BYU—Inherited Records? Now What? —43:08 - 2016   



  3. Learn about the importance of documenting stories and photographs.

    AAC—Document Your Family Treasures and Photographs—11:26
    RT—Your Story Is More Important Than You Think - 2024

  4. Analyzing: Learn about guidelines on deciding whether objects are heirlooms, documentation, or junk.

    Family Heirlooms (article series)

  5. History: Learn about how to discover the history of your home.

    A Guide to Researching the History of a House - 2020

  6. Citations: Learn how to cite the family sources that you have gathered.

    Citing Family Sources: Photos, Letters, Journals, Heirlooms, and More—54:23 - 2025



Exercises


C Make scans or paper copies of each document or photo to serve as backups.


Vault
  1. If you don't have access to a scanner, visit a library or family history center to use one, or use a digital camera to make digital copies. For tips on scanning, see Goal 5.
  2. Back up digital copies to external devices (thumb drive, etc.) or to the Internet.

Resources
  1. Google Photos: Use Google Photos to back up and store your family history photos.

    MH—Google Photos: one photo app to rule them all—88:00

  2. Scanning: Learn basic scanning skills in this video.

    Scanning and Beyond—41:52 - 2020   


  3. Backups/Archival: Learn about different formats for your digital files.

    Digitizing Family Photos and Records: What's the Best Format to Use?

  4. Learn how to archive your family history memories.

    GTV: How to Archive Your Family History Documents, Photos, & Artifacts—34:58 - 2019   


  5. Learn about backing up your files from genealogy websites.

    Why You Should Download Your Files From Ancestry and Every Other Website - 2017

  6. Here are some tips for managing your scans and digital photographs.

    FS—Managing Scanned and Digital Photos—23:46 - 2021


  7. Metadata: Learn about the benefits of including metadata with your digital photos and documents.

    RT—Why Metadata Makes Your Photo Library Searchable & Enjoyable—26:30 - 2023



Exercise


D Protect and preserve your original documents and backups.


Vault Summary
  1. Store original documents and backups in separate, secure locations.
  2. Choose a safe, dry place for physical copies.
  3. Watch this video to learn about the importance of preserving your family photos and memories.


  4. Here are some tips for preserving and protecting your family heirlooms.

    TH— Preserve and Protect Family Heirlooms and Treasures - 2020

  5. Learn about passing your family history assets on to the next generation.

    FTM—How to Pass On Research: What to Include in Your “Genealogy Will”


Resources
  1. Tips: Explore the CollectionCareTips site for ideas on preserving important photos and documents.
  2. Visit the Library of Congress site for ideas on preserving many types of archives.
  3. Learn about digital preservation of your family history records.

    Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally - 2010

  4. Use the free Mylio Photos program to organize and preserve your photos.

    Mylio Photos - 2010



  5. For more ideas on preserving documents and photos, read these articles.

    FS—Simple Steps to Preserve Your Precious Family Memories
    Preserving Your Photographs - 1994

  6. Letters/Books: Here are some tips for preserving old family letters and books.

    MH—Preserving Old Family Letters - 2019
    FS: How to Preserve and Restore Family Records and Books

  7. Learn how to preserve various paper documents.

    BYU—Basic Paper Document Preservation—56:44 - 2020   


  8. Newspapers: Learn how to preserve old newspaper clippings.

    MH—5 Easy Steps to Preserving Newspaper Clippings - 2019

  9. Heirlooms: Learn how to preserve a variety of family mementos.

    Preserving Your Treasured Family Heirlooms—5:38 - 2024

Exercise


E (Optional) Restore damaged photographs when possible.


Summary
  1. Learn about restoring photographs in these articles.

    GC—Restoring Damaged Photographs
    TH: Tips for Salvaging Flood & Water Damaged Photos - 2019

  2. Here are some tips on making bad family photos better.

    How To Fix Bad Family Photos

  3. Get help restoring or dating your photographs from members of the RootsChat forum.

F Use Google Photos to store and organize digital photos.


  1. Learn how to get started with Google Photos.

    FS: What Is Google Photos? - 2019
    FS: Getting Started with Google Photos - 2022

  2. Learn more about using Google Photos in these articles.

    FS: Google Photos—A Genealogist's Dream? - 2019
    FS: Google Photos and Genealogy, A Perfect Picture - 2018

  3. Learn how to use Google Photos to help in your genealogy research.

    FS: A Guide to Using Google Photos for Genealogy - 2018
    AF: How to Use Google Images to Further Your Genealogy Research - 2019