If you want to know how to organize your genealogy materials, curate your collection, and keep family history safe for future generations, then this is a book for you.

Old photos, ancestors' stories, genealogical documents, and heirlooms reflect your family’s past—and they should be safeguarded for tomorrow's descendants and researchers.

Follow the PASS process:
P - Prepare by organizing your materials
A - Allocate ownership by curating your collection
S - Set up a genealogical 'will; to designate heirs, and
S - Share family history now

Updated for this second edition, you'll learn how to approach institutions about artifact donations, saving items from ancestors without descendants, creative ways to share family history, finding repositories that accept genealogy collections and more. This book includes revised sample forms, details of new online resources and more.

Contents:
Introduction to the Second edition
- New in this edition
- Overview of PASS
- Don't bequeath a genealogical mess
- Four steps to PASS
- About the author
- Acknowledgements

 

STEP 1: Organize and analyze

1. Organized storage for your collection
- Investigate options for organized storage
- Files and folders
- Binders
- Boxes (sometimes tubs)
- Your trusty label maker
- Put a sleeve on it
2. Organize your photos, images, and movies

- Sorting photos and negatives
- Special considerations for negatives
- Caption photos to keep ancestors alive

- Write captions on paper or labels

- Downsize and sort slides

- Scan your slides
- Caption and share digitized images

- Save your movies
3. Organizing digital files and emails

- Why digitize?

- Sources for digitizing

- Not entirely paperless genealogy
- Sources for digitizing
- File your digital files and emails

- Digitize captions

- Back up regularly

4. Inventory and index your collection

- Why inventory?

- How to take your inventory

- Get ready to index
- Plan your index format

- Six easy steps to indexing

- After indexing, look for clues

- Solving family history mysteries
5. Record your family tree

- Family group sheets and pedigree charts

- Downloadable templates

- Family trees: software, online, apps

 

STEP 2: Allocate ownership
6. Keep or give away

- Keep or give away
- Category 1: Keep (yourself or in the family)

- Category 2: Keep in extended family

- Managing family-first giveaways

- Category 3: FAN club or family?
- No cousin left behind
7. Find outside homes for artifacts

- Category 3: Non-family homes for artifacts

- Objects with minimal financial value

- Preparing to donate to an institution
- Match the item to the institution
- Contacting an institution

- Successful donations

- Tax implications? Ask an expert! 

 

STEP 3: Set up a genealogical "wil"

8. Who wants your genealogy collection?

- Identify future custodians

- Ask permissions to bequeath

- Smooth the way for heirs

- What and where?
- Share ancestors' burial places

- Share your cousin connections

9. Write your genealogical "will"

- Four reasons to write a genealogical "will"

- What to include in a genealogical "will"

- Sample genealogical "will"
- Think about your own situation

- Have a contingency plan
- One piece at a time
10. No obvious heirs? Try these ideas
- Background on donating a collection
- Ask a niece, nephew or cousin
- Offer one item
- Placing a collection in non-family hands
- Investigating potential institutions
- Remember those without descendants

 

STEP 4: Share your family history now

11. Keep family history alive

- Know your family audience

- Use photos to intrigue

- Take a field trip

- Tell the stories
- Bite-sized family history
- Family history coloring book
- Family history booklets

- Resources for writing

- Video or audio family history

- Put your PASS plan into action

 

Sample forms

Index