Sorting Saturday - All That Genealogical Dander

I tend it to call it dander for a reason. Every time I get into it, I begin to sneeze like crazy! [Allergies don't ya know.]
We all call it birth records, marriage records, death records, social security records, deeds, maps, census records, etc. The list goes on and on and on! Almost as big a stack of photographs fits right in with these things.

They fit into boxes we have stacked in our home office space, in our cupboards, in our closets, in our attics, and our basements.

It would be excellent to fit it all into binders. [I've been working on that one for ten years...I've got about 12 great big fat binders so full and heavy that it takes two hands to pull them from the bookcase where I keep them beside my desk.]

But I think I've found an even better way, thanks to the wonderful advice of so many other excellent genealogists, primary being Dick Eastman and his blog.

I'm going all digital!

Yep... I'm taking the plunge and I am scanning all of the documents and photos I have and will keep them on a separate external drive with my computer, as well as a backup drive.

Copies of anything will be shredded or used for handmade crafts. [There are so many more than I could ever mention!] Originals only will be kept. And depending upon what they are, I will decide on an appropriate storage for them. I know I have some documents that would be best kept in our family safe. [Doesn't everyone have one in their home?] Don't worry, due to a shortage of funds, no money has ever been kept in it... just our important papers [birth certificates, marriage certificate, deeds and car titles.]

And I also think I will keep my backup in the safe every month as well. It's fire and flood proof. A perfect safety measure.

Now... to get up off my duff and get started with it!

One box at a time. One file folder at a time. One binder at a time. Remember the tortoise and the hare?

Slow and steady wins the race!

How about you? How are you keeping those important measures of genealogical dander? Are they safe and secure? Or are they simply sitting there waiting for you to come up with the perfect solution for you?

****Be sure to set your clocks BACK one hour tonight!!!