I recently read another horror story of a researcher who lost half of her research material to a home fire. The disaster that wipes out your years of research could be a fire, flood, theft, accident, sabotage or a fit of emotion. How much blood sweat and tears has gone into you genealogical research? Can you imagine what it would be like to lose ANY of it, much less ALL of it? It could happen! Would you be willing, would you be able, to start all over to replace the lost material? Even if it could be replaced!! Your relations, now departed, have left a legacy in your care. Please don't fail them by losing the treasures that have been passed down to you.

- Buy a scanner for your computer and learn how to use it. It's not hard. Images on digital media, are much easier to copy and to share.

- Buy a CD writer, or preferably, a combination CD - DVD writer, for your PC. It doesn't take long to fill a CD disk with images. Not everyone has a DVD drive in their PC, but they will soon enough.

- Whether you make paper or digital copies of your research, give some thought to a secure storage location for your copies. Consider renting a bank safe deposit box; Walmart has very reasonably priced (though heavy) home safes; send copies of your research to relatives or close friends (they may not share your passion for genealogy, but they'll be happy to put your stuff in their attic for safe keeping).

- Anything that cannot be copied (books, keepsakes, clothing, etc.) should be stored in as secure an environment as your imagination and your finances can come up with.

- Put a permanent note on your PC monitor that says "Do a backup". Backing up your research every six months won't do the job! As a general rule of thumb, make a copy of your additions to your research materials every time you make "important" changes. What's important is up to you. An irreplaceable photo or other document is important; the product of several hours work is important; a video or audio recording that will be a real treasure in a few years is important.

Genealogy is our way of affirming that the lives of our relations have some significance. As long as they are remembered, they never truly die. I'm sure that you will want to do what is necessary to preserve the memory of their lives.

Send questions and comments to John W. Grace

Kentucky GenWeb project