Sentimental Sunday - Organizing. Re-Evaluating. Sharing.

This would NOT be my blog if I didn't get sentimental on Sunday, right? I just don't know what it is about this day, but I always wake up with a bit of a melancholy edge, anticipating missing out on what used to be a 'family' day. And as I've been doing pretty often lately, I had a bit of an 'AHa!' moment while perusing Social Media this morning. 

I am with my family when I'm working on my genealogy. 

I know many of you, especially anyone just starting out, do family history research because you want to find out about your roots and pass that information on to your children. I started because my Mom was asking if I could 'find out' whether or not we could be in the Daughters of the American Revolution (we are, now) and it took off from there. But every once in a while, I think, 'why the heck am I doing this if no one cares?' What?! Yes, I too have doubts as to whether all the work I put into my research will be meaningful. And it won't, if it's not organized and available for others. 

So, once again, I'm going to create a 'goal' for this year (23andme will soon be returning my parent's DNA tests at which point we will prove, categorically, I have the 'procrastination' gene).  First on the list: Organization. Yes, that's right, the Archivist rails against organizing at home. It's challenging. And frustrating. It does not come naturally to me to be well organized. It's a skill I've learned through a variety of detail oriented jobs I've had since I started working. From Accounts Payable clerk to diesel technician to Stock Broker, every single job I've had has required a very high level of attention to detail. So at home, not so much. Well, guess what? It's time to apply my knowledge on the home front to show that it CAN be done. I will have my office space AND my basement cleared and organized by the end of February.

Then comes: Re-evaluation. Having a clear and organized office space and family Archives will allow me to re-evaluate the materials that I have. The most critical aspect of any well run Archives is 'intellectual control'. That means knowing what you have. And while I have neatly labeled folders in boxes, I don't have a Finding Aid created. Wouldn't it be cool to have a Finding Aid available here for researchers to look at? How's THAT for cousin bait?!! Someone doing a Google search for a surname in my tree may very well find me because I've updated my Finding Aid. What a concept! 

At the same time, the re-evaluation truly happens in looking at each document I have and pulling every piece of family history evidence that document contains. What a mind boggling task!! But, I know this task will be made so much easier by using Evidentia, a new software specifically designed for storing information found in the resources you use for your family history. It is NOT a genealogical database, but rather a database that keeps every SINGLE piece of evidence you locate on a given document, photo, coin, in a conversation; wherever you find a shred of evidence about someone in your tree you can save it now so it'll be there for you to review later. Re-evaluation!

Jane Garret(t) Powelson (1824 - 1916)

And the final piece: Sharing. Yep, it's great that I have all this evidence, especially the primary stuff (original documents). But it doesn't do any good if I'm the only one seeing it, right? So, having had the time and tools to gather and effectively analyze evidence for my family history, I'm setting the goal of having at least one line in my family tree ready to take with me when I go to the Allen County Public Library in August to attend FGS's Annual Conference. The ACPL will bind two copies, one for its shelves and one for me. This way, I'll have at least a tiny part of my research truly available for others who may be seeking information on someone in my line. 

I am with my family when I'm working on my genealogy.