Genealogy New Year’s Resolutions

I’ll admit it: I don’t make the typical New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I make a flexible list of goals for the new year. Posting that list where I can see it keeps me on track and reminds me of what’s important. You can do the same with general goals or a few specific projects.

I’ve spent a good amount of time recently cleaning out every closet, file drawer and cabinet in my house. After nearly two decades in the same house, there was a lot of stuff.

Prioritize Your Old Photos

If you feel the need to take charge of the clutter in your house, start with your photo collection. Here are some things to consider when dealing with all that photo build-up.

1. Start small.
Don’t take out all the boxes at once, try one shoebox at a time.

2. Learn your family’s story one photo at a time.
Select a single image from your box of unidentified pictures, and try to solve its mystery using the photographic method, photographer’s imprint, subjects’ clothing and genealogical data as clues. Setting this reasonable goal will help you move ahead on your research checklist.

3. Listen to your pictures.
You know the old saying: A picture’s worth a thousand words. Listen to the stories your photos tell about your family. Pictures of lost loves and family travels can lead to new discoveries about your family tree. Here are a couple to consider:

• Migration patterns: Lay out your photographs, and plot on a map all the places your ancestor had their pictures taken (based on the photographer’s imprint). Use different-colored pins or stickers for each branch of the family, and hang up the map wherever you work on your genealogy. You’ll have a visual reminder of your roots.
• Family celebrations: What traditions appear in your pictures? What can you discern from images of baptisms, marriages and other family events? Do they reveal beliefs or customs? Use family pictures to explore your heritage, start traditions or reintroduce old ones.

4. Carry your pictures with you.
Pictures can help open up memories, so carry a file of your unidentified images with you every day. That way, they’ll be accessible the next time you visit a relative or unexpectedly connect with a cousin. You can photocopy your images and carry the copies with you. Or using today’s technology, take along digitized versions on your smartphone or tablet.

5. You don’t have to keep everything.
It’s OK to throw out images that don’t include individuals. This is also true for digital images. My husband is very organized. Every time he uploads digital images he immediately starts deleting those less than perfect shots.

6. Be preservation-minded.
Don’t forget to preserve your digital images. Be sure to back them up, and print them using preservation-quality inks and papers.

New Year, New Habit

It’s a new year so start a new habit. Regularly back-up all your digital files. I use an online service so that I don’t forget to do it. And store all printed images in an environment with a stable temperature and low humidity.

Don’t worry about accomplishing everything on your list. These are just practical ways to make progress on your family history, tell a good story and be mindful of the value of your pictures.

Doesn’t it feel good to start the new year with a fresh outlook?

Happy New Year!