Reminder . . . the deadline for reservations and payment for our Christmas luncheon at Amici’s is Wednesday, November 30th. You can contact Bernie Patruno at sags.communications@yahoo.com for more information.
Why should you be building a Family History Book?
Here are eight good reasons . . .
1. You’ve been researching for 20+ years and have a lot of research.
Okay, you have been researching a long time, and yes, you’re not done. But let’s be realistic you will never be. But it’s time to take what you have acquired and start organising into a shareable format for your family. It’s doing nobody any good spread across boxes, and computers. Time to pull it all together.
2. You’ve just started your family history journey.
While you still might be just beginning your family history journey there is nothing wrong with researching and writing at the same time. If you know that your end goal is to build and family history book then knowing that now in these early days is a bonus. It will affect how you organise yourself, and you can begin to write those stories now while you research. You’ll be so much further ahead when you are ready to build that book.
3. Your kids don’t want your genealogy stuff.
Your children have shown no interest in your genealogy stuff so why should you build a family history book. Perhaps they haven’t shown an interest because you haven’t shared their family history with them an interesting and engaging format. Family history books and stories have a way of helping your readers make an emotional connection with their ancestors.
4. Your research is a pile of papers that only makes sense to you.
That means it’s time to format it into a book that someone else can understand it. Your family will never connect with a pile of stuff. Files of papers in boxes don’t interest anyone, well unless you’re a genealogist. Don’t risk having all your genealogy end up in the trash bin. Organise it into a book that will be treasured for years to come by your descendants.
5. You want to leave your family history in a format your kids will look at.
A family history book is an excellent opportunity to leave your relatives with their family history in a beautiful book they will love for generations to come. Nothing is more appealing to family members than a book that sums up their legacy in a nice neat package, something they can pass on for generations to come.
6. You want your family to know their ancestors.
A family history book is a perfect vehicle to share your ancestor’s documents, pictures and stories. Your family can’t connect with their ancestors through just a picture or a document, bring them all together in a legacy family history book, a book that will appeal to all age levels.
7. It adds a new skill to your genealogy toolbox.
It’s time to learn a new skill. Learning to create and write your family history stories is an excellent extension of your genealogy journey. It is a new skill that you should be adding to your genealogy toolbox. Learning to create and write a family history book can help you to examine your family history deeper while at the same time offering you a new skill and a new sense of motivation besides producing a beautiful book.
8. You want to leave a legacy that reflects your genealogy work.
We’ve spent the better part of our lives researching our family history. It has been our passion, why not create something beautiful that will allow you to share your love, the fruits of your labour and leave a legacy of your years of work. Your family history book will not only represent your ancestor’s legacy but your legacy as a passionate genealogist.
Another good reason is you’ll have something beautiful to show off at the Family History Fair in January. Need some help getting started? You’ll find lots of project ideas and useful tips at Moultrie Creek Gazette – a family history support blog written by Denise Olson, our Publications chair.
James Tanner, the keynote speaker at the North Florida Genealogy Conference, has published a fascinating series – Jumpstart Your Family History in Ten Steps. This link takes you to the most recent post on organizing your workflow and you will find links to each of the other steps at the bottom of that post. After checking out this series, you’ll understand why having Jim at the conference is so exciting.
FamilySearch is celebrating 10 years of indexing. If you aren’t aware of this program, it is a huge volunteer effort that transcribes information from scanned records to make them searchable. In the last 10 years 1.2 million volunteers have indexed more than 1.5 billion records. Learn more about the program and how you can get involved at FamilySearch Indexing.
Final Notes
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Sample of the “fine print” at the bottom of each post.
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