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Archiver > HANKS > 1998-09 > 0905025688


From: "Glenn Gohr" <>
Subject: NOW WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL OF THIS STUFF?
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 15:01:28 -0500


Thanks to Alley Blackford of the Dodson List and to Michelle Ule for
calling this article to my attention. It is worthy of note for all
genealogists.

Glenn Gohr (List Manager)

----------

Edward H. Gaulin (Sr.) wrote this article for the Rochester (New
York) Genealogical Society newsletter, "Hear Ye! Hear Ye!," in
which it will appear in the December 1998 issue. The author is
immediate past president of the Rochester Genealogical Society.

NOW WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL OF THIS STUFF?

by Edward Henry Gaulin (Sr.) <>

A message on the Internet caught my eye the other day and I can't
get it out of my mind. A West Coast genealogist had been
exchanging information with a researcher in Virginia for some
time. Then it happened. Her last message bounced -- it couldn't
be delivered as the address no longer existed. Fortunately she
had received a number of family group sheets from her
correspondent which listed a telephone number. When she called
the number a man answered, so she asked for her Internet friend
and, after a slight hesitation was told, "Oh, Mary Ann passed
away three weeks ago." Shocked, but ever gracious, she expressed
her sympathy and commented how close this long-distance
relationship had become and how it will be missed by her. The
husband explained that he was sorry that he couldn't be of any
help because he really didn't know much about what his wife was
doing with her genealogy.

Perhaps you too have noticed at genealogical gatherings that the
average age of the participants is something in excess of 39
years, at least judging by hair color. Most of us really don't
have a lot of time to devote to our hobby until after the kids
are grown, out of school and we've retired. Then it is no longer
a hobby, it becomes an obsession. At some point in our continuous
search for dead people, our ancestors, we recognize our own
mortality and start to think about a permanent home for our
research. If our children or grandchildren appear to be
interested, we have it made, but frequently that's not the case.
Then what happens to our "stuff"?

Genealogists are usually pretty smart people, until it comes to
providing for the distribution of their genealogical assets. The
latter, in my case anyway, is a room full of books, journals,
magazines, pamphlets, maps, photographs, brochures, newsletters,
computer equipment and furniture (desk, chairs, file cabinets,
tables, lamps, etc.). The files are loaded with folders bearing
family and town names, historic events, and a bunch labeled
"MISC." There are miles of computer printouts, hundreds of
photocopies, and many "original" vital records. My desk is
usually loaded with correspondence awaiting an answer -- either
mine or from someone else. What should my wife do with all this
stuff when I make the ultimate research trip -- a personal
meeting with my ancestors?

Some of our brighter colleagues say "My college library is
getting all my stuff" or it's going to the local public library
or to the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City or even to
the Library of Congress. Well, I hate to be the one to tell you
this, but unless you are a celebrity or a huge financial donor,
these institutions probably won't want your material -- they just
don't have room for it. They would be grateful for a copy of your
book, but they might not want the manuscript or research notes.
The FHL would appreciate a GEDCOM disk of your genealogy database
files, but it doesn't want your paper pedigree charts or family
group sheets.

So what are your spouse and children to do with all of your
stuff? They could really do a couple of dumb things with it if
you don't provide guidance to them while you still can. It could
be placed in the weekly trash collection and don't say "They
wouldn't do that" because it unfortunately happens all the time.
How about a garage sale? Now that is really scary, but it also
happens every day. Remember all those old photos and tintypes you
have seen in flea markets? How about all those bargain genealogy
books you bought because you got to that garage sale before the
dealers did? They all had to come from someplace.

What should you do to insure the sane distribution of your
genealogical assets? Perhaps the first thing is to make a record
of what you have and then try to keep it current. Show the
acquisition date and how much you paid for each item on the
inventory sheets. This is especially helpful for artifacts,
collections, and books. A photographic record of these items,
including those of rare books, could also be useful. Microfilm,
microfiche and complete photocopies of books and some records
have value. Back issues of many journals, newsletters, and
magazines are also in demand by genealogists and therefore have
value. However, if you don't tell them what is valuable, your
heirs probably won't know.

Now that you have identified your assets, you need to tell
someone what you want done with them. Maybe the simplest way is
to prepare a letter to your heirs, but remember this lacks the
force of law. If they want to, they can toss everything in the
trash. A better way to provide for the distribution is in your
will, particularly if you also designate sufficient funds to
carry out your wishes. Your Last Will and Testament is also where
you may make specific bequests: your copy of the 1898 edition of
Burke's Peerage to your FGS Conference roommate or your old
roll-top desk to your newest granddaughter. Your wishes can now
be enforced by the courts, if necessary.

If you still want to have any of your assets given to your alma
mater or a local library or anywhere else, personally contact
that agency and discuss the possibility -- right now. It won't
come as a surprise to them and they should be able to advise you
immediately of any conditions of acceptance. If you can support
those conditions, ask for a written acknowledgment that can be
placed with your will.

Some other things that you can do right now are to distribute
copies of your research among your family, friends, and, perhaps,
local or national libraries. This is simple if you have
progressed to the book-writing stage, but don't be too concerned
if you haven't. Many genealogists assemble their pedigree charts,
group sheets, pertinent vital records, selected family
photographs, and other important documents in notebook form. They
write a brief introduction, provide a table of contents, and
sometimes an index before having copies made for distribution.
Afterwards, the notebook can be kept current with a new year's
letter which might include new charts and photos.

Computerized genealogical data can be distributed in the same way
on diskette. Sometimes an envelope or jacket is provided in the
notebook described above to house data disks. Another way some
researchers try to insure the safeguarding of their electronic
data is to submit it to the LDS Ancestral File (tm) or one or
more of the other commercial collections. If you don't know how
to do this, consult your local genealogical society or Family
History Center or even the public library for instructions.

Another thing you can do right now to benefit your heirs is to
clean up your files. Eliminate unnecessary correspondence and
duplicate copies of records. Toss out all those old printouts you
made in 1984 on your Apple IIe computer. Sell all the
"Genealogical Helper" magazines you have saved since 1973,
because you will never open one of them again and you know it. If
you get 50 cents each for them you can have a pretty good dinner.
Give away all that old computer software that is taking up room
on your bookshelves -- it's probably not worth anything anyway.
Label your photographs, and diskettes too.

I find it a bit morbid, but you may wish to write your epitaph
and select your tombstone now to insure future researchers will
not encounter some of the same problems that you've had.

If you decide to follow some of these suggestions, when you do
eventually meet your ancestors they may thank you for
perpetuating their memory. They may also show you where you made
some of your mistakes and be able to fill in a few of the blank
spaces in your previous research.

Remember, do it now; there may be no tomorrow.

* * * * *

PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from MISSING LINKS is granted
unless specifically stated otherwise, PROVIDED: (1) the reprint
is used for non-commercial, educational purposes; (2) full credit
is given to MISSING LINKS and the author involved, in a notice
crediting MISSING LINKS (volume, number, publication date) and
the author (name, e-mail address, and URL, if applicable).

* * * * *

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