Paper & Pencil Time

I've been successful at the LDS library, but too successful with the amount of data I have. I sat down with low-tech paper and pencil to organize a data-flow/data entry/data dissemination process. This sounds like overkill, but to keep the data organized, backed up and published on a website is going to take migration procedures. This is much like the process I do at work when I administer Endevor (yes, that's the product's name) to migrate projects from test to production.

First: Digital or Not Digital?

1. Digital
1. Save using "My File Naming Convention"*
2. Copy to "Document Holding Area" folder
2. Paper, photo or other goes into the "To Be Scanned" Folder in the file cabinet
   

Second: "To Be Scanned" Folder

1. Digitize
2. Save using "My File Naming Convention"* into "Document Holding Area"
   

Third: Enter the data into PAF (I enter data into PAF and copy it to Legacy and TNG). Move those files into the "Entered in PAF" file folder.

Fourth: When there are a number of files in the "Entered in PAF" folder, it will act as a signal for further action. This will be the point in time to copy the files to their final folders (see step 5), the off-site location, to Legacy and the website.

Fifth: Hard copies go into the file cabinet by type of document, electronic file folders correspond to this convention under the "Genealogy Records" file folder. They will be filed under the following titles:

1. Adoption
2. Baptism
3. Birth
4. Burial
1. Cemetery Records
2. Funeral Memorial Cards
5. Census
1. Census US Year
2. Census British Year
   
6. Church
1. Confirmation
7. Correspondence
8. Cremation
9. Death
1. DB
2. Certificates
10. Directories
11. Divorce
12. Education
13. Emigration
1. Travel papers
14. Estate Probate
15. Histories
16. Immigration
1. DB
2. Manifests {Ellis Island, Castle Gardens, New York}
17. Land Records
18. Living People
19. Marriage
20. Military
21. Naturalization
22. Obituary
1. DB
2. Newspaper Copies
23. Occupation
24. Other Researchers' Documents
1. Gedcom Files
2. Reports
3. Books
25. Probate {Not Birth, Marriage or Wills}
26. Religion See Church
27. Residence See Land
28. Social Security
29. Wills

Sixth: Create a standard backup file or an incremental file. Copy the backup file to the off-site folder. Load PAF to Legacy and the TNG website.

There is one more major folder for generated reports, gedcoms and charts. This is to keep track of what I send out to other researchers.

I'm going to give this a try and see if this doesn't help me keep it together. I hope I just need to tweak it from here.

* My File Naming Convention:

• SURNAME
• (MAIDEN)
• Given & Middle
  
• Type of Document
• {Optional} year

Trip to the Local LDS

I had to put the server stuff on hold.

I had ordered microfilm from Salt Lake and it arrived last Wednesday. Thursday night and Saturday are the only time I can go to the library without taking time off from work. It was very fruitful as I was able to break one of my brick walls. I have not been able to find my great-grandfather Ernst Myers prior to his marriage in 1872. But, the marriage record from the church in Toledo, Ohio said he was born in Lintorf, Hannover. So I ordered the film from Lintorf. There are actually three films from this church, but, I only rented the one that I could predict he was on.

He was there, and all his brothers and sisters. It's amazing the name changes that went on. I also found his parents and their parents. I'm back into the late 1700's.