Because of budget concerns, yesterday I had to temporarily cancel my paid membership for Ancestry. I still have access to it for a bit, so I need to download my updated GEDCOM (I added about 5 more people to it yesterday), so that I can work with it offline.
Anne Gillespie Mitchell wrote a great post on her blog back on the 14th...."Stop Searching, Start Analyzing". And this is exactly what I need to do. And what better time than while my Ancestry account is on hold. I need to get my OneNote notebooks set up properly for each family. That alone could take a month! I am going to tackle it one family at a time, add my documents/images, and do proper sourcing for what I know. I need the practice on the source citations, so this will be a good work out for me.
Yesterday someone shared a new pin on Pinterest, that had a video with a downloadable OneNote template for creating a research plan. I love it, and will be incorporating it into my notebooks for each person. Even if they are not a "brick wall", this is a good way to get a full overview of what you have, or don't have. In genealogy, there is always the tendency to miss something. This will also allow me to make a list of documents I need to request. I know it's a lot, and budget wise, it's going to take awhile. From the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT alone, I need 20 obituary notices, to the tune of $20 each. I need to prioritize what I want to get first.
Because I am house sitting for the week, I don't have access to my printer, to get documents printed out for my paper files. After losing a huge amount of resources by relying on an online service a few years ago, I want those paper files. Besides, who knows what technology will look like in even 10 years from now. Will anyone in my family be able to access my files if there aren't paper backups? I don't want all my hard work to go to waste.
Take Anne's advice. Stop, breathe, and take the time to review what you have collected. You just might see something you didn't before.
Anne Gillespie Mitchell wrote a great post on her blog back on the 14th...."Stop Searching, Start Analyzing". And this is exactly what I need to do. And what better time than while my Ancestry account is on hold. I need to get my OneNote notebooks set up properly for each family. That alone could take a month! I am going to tackle it one family at a time, add my documents/images, and do proper sourcing for what I know. I need the practice on the source citations, so this will be a good work out for me.
Yesterday someone shared a new pin on Pinterest, that had a video with a downloadable OneNote template for creating a research plan. I love it, and will be incorporating it into my notebooks for each person. Even if they are not a "brick wall", this is a good way to get a full overview of what you have, or don't have. In genealogy, there is always the tendency to miss something. This will also allow me to make a list of documents I need to request. I know it's a lot, and budget wise, it's going to take awhile. From the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT alone, I need 20 obituary notices, to the tune of $20 each. I need to prioritize what I want to get first.
Because I am house sitting for the week, I don't have access to my printer, to get documents printed out for my paper files. After losing a huge amount of resources by relying on an online service a few years ago, I want those paper files. Besides, who knows what technology will look like in even 10 years from now. Will anyone in my family be able to access my files if there aren't paper backups? I don't want all my hard work to go to waste.
Take Anne's advice. Stop, breathe, and take the time to review what you have collected. You just might see something you didn't before.