Sorting Saturday

What do you do with all of that paperwork you've accumulated on your ancestors?

Do you have it in file boxes?

Yes... these really are my filing boxes!!!

But these aren't where I keep my personal ancestral papers!

Here are my ancestral papers [well, this actually only one shelf of them!]

These are 3 - 5 inch binders for keeping my important documents, photos, and papers in.

Inside these binders each page is inserted into an archive safe sheet protector.

Here are ones from Staples. Make sure they state that they are "Archival" or "Archive Safe" to prevent deterioration of your precious papers!

Staples has these medium weight archve safe sheet protectors for $12.99 for a package of 100.

I never load more than 2 sheets back to back in one sheet protector. So... while they are not inexpensive, they are definitely worth the money! I have papers that I have kept that I printed off more than 20 years ago, and you can't tell them from ones I print out today! Yep... they're that good!

When purchasing your binders, also make sure that they are archive safe as well!

Here we have some from Staples that sell for $9.99 [3-inch]. Don't skimp and buy light weight, or cheap ones that are not marked archive safe! You will regret it in a few years when your papers begin to yellow, fade, and crumble!

Keep your binders in a place where you can remove them in a hurry if you must, as in a fire. And always keep digital copies stored off site just in case of that emergency! If you would lose the hard copies due to disaster, at least the digital are safe!

I make monthly backups to portable devices [USB sticks or CD's] and I have an online off site storage which backups my entire computer daily and runs behind scene. While I understand some have a fear of this, it is my genealogy which I basically keep off-site. I have invested thousands upon thousands of hours, and dollars, into that research. It is safely encrypted. And the backup is performed only on those files I so choose. While there are many online storage backups to choose from, I have personally used Mozy [and continue to do so] and highly recommend it. It is inexpensive, and I know first hand that it is easy to restore your files from. I have also heard first hand experience of users who have chosen Carbonite. So, I would recommend either of those two, although I am sure there are others just as reputable.

Protect your hard work. If not for you, then do it for those who are sure to appreciate it in the future!