family archives

Digital Preservation Fundamentals

Digital Preservation Fundamentals

An acute preservation challenge lies in saving digital items. Technology enables us to create, use, and be enriched by information in ways that were unthinkable generations ago. But the same advances that make sharing information so easy also pose some problems. The complexity and diversity of technology is overwhelming, even as storage capacity becomes cheaper. The volume of digital data, unstable storage media, and obsolete hardware and software make the usability of digital items a challenge.

How to Save Your Life

How to Save Your Life

As you reflect on your life, what moments or thoughts would you like to save? What about some of your family members? Wouldn’t you like to record their opinions on their lives?

Open-ending questions about people’s life experiences yield surprising results. Use these questions to record your thoughts, or start a conversation with a relative. When possible, record the interview on audio or video.

An Interview on The Life Story Coach Podcast

An Interview on The Life Story Coach Podcast

I was recently interviewed on The Life Story Coach podcast about my book, Creating Family Archives: A Step-by-Step Guide for Saving Your Memories for Future Generations.

Hosted by Amy Woods Butler, a personal historian and life story writer, The Life Story Coach helps listeners build careers as professional writers of personal and family histories.

An Interview on Genealogy Happy Hour

An Interview on Genealogy Happy Hour

I was recently interviewed on the Genealogy Happy Hour podcast about my book, Creating Family Archives: A Step-by-Step Guide for Saving Your Memories for Future Generations. Considering that I just got back from a red eye flight from Portland, Oregon for the annual conference of the Society of American Archivists, I think I did pretty good!

What Does "Archival Quality" Mean?

What Does "Archival Quality" Mean?

When you are creating your family archives, you will most likely have to rehouse your family treasures in suitable storage containers, such as folders, enclosures, and boxes. These items are often described as “archival” or “archival quality” by their manufacturers, but these terms convey no specifics about their preservation use.

Jumpstart Your Family Archives Project with a Free Download

Jumpstart Your Family Archives Project with a Free Download

Many of us organize a lifelong collection of personal papers and photos either when we have free time, such as in retirement, or when we have to deal with the belongings of a someone who has passed away. Often the project seems daunting because we don’t know where to begin.

Once you jump over that mental hurdle, you will be amazed at what you discover.

Copyright Fundamentals for Family Historians

Copyright Fundamentals for Family Historians

It may seem as though you wouldn’t have to worry about copyright issues when you are creating family history projects. If you have original diaries, photos, and letters in your possession, you might also think that you own the rights to them, especially if they are old. However, even though you may own the physical materials, the author of the documents retains their legal copyright, sometimes for much longer than you would assume.