Tidying Up Your Genealogy | The Barefoot Genealogist | Ancestry

Do you find yourself with multiple copies of your family tree in various places? As you have engaged in family history research have you been overcome by the "paper pile monster?" Join Crista Cowan for a look at ways to tidy up your digital and paper files. She will also share some quick tips for keeping organized as you go.

About Ancestry:
Bringing together science and self-discovery, Ancestry helps everyone, everywhere discover the story of what led to them. Our sophisticated engineering and technology harnesses family history and consumer genomics, combining billions of rich historical records, millions of family trees, and samples from almost 10 million people in the AncestryDNA database to provide people with deeply meaningful insights about who they are and where they come from.
We’ve pioneered and defined this category, developing new innovations and technologies that have reinvented how people make family history discoveries. And these discoveries can give everyone a greater sense of identity, relatedness, and their place in the world.

Connect with Ancestry:

Tidying Up Your Genealogy | The Barefoot Genealogist | Ancestry

[traceygust]

I've just recently discovered the Barefoot Genealogist. You are amazing, Crista! Such a good teacher. So full of practical information. And able to explain things simply. I am very grateful that you are willing to so freely share your expertise. Thank you!

[hunterhagmaier]

Crista you are really carrying the whole Ancestry YouTube! Your my fav :)

[pravoslavn]

Everything Crista does is "Top Shelf" ! She has pulled me out of many a ditch. Blessings upon you, Crista ! ☺

[sheh]

Thank you so much Crista. All of your tips are always so helpful! Tidying up can also result in finding some information that you missed along the way. That has happened to me. You revisit a record and all of a sudden you find a hint that makes sense.

[jadinolfi]

You never disappoint me. I watch your utube videos almost every night. As usual, I learned a lot. Anxious to apply the information into my genealogy. Thank you for doing what you do so well.

[pravoslavn]

You are tops, Crista ! I have learned much about working in Ancestry. THANK YOU for your excellent work !

[edwardyeutson]

I have been doing family history since 1976 I can say I have totes of papers the last four generations passed down I am just now getting organized with papers and am spending more time offline being sure names are on the back of pictures. If you go to a county seat that is the way one wall of my computer room is, albums laying on their sides like the big record books in a quart house go to the cycling 8ft by 8ft shelving I still have 30 totes I haven’t went through yet. Some were between 20 to 23 thousand hard copy pictures in 47 albums. And 25 2 ½ d ring archive binders same with Pictures. 5TB and many flash drive scattered around the USA with cousins. I also have made 8x10 copies of my grandkid’s grandparents on all the walls so my kids and grandkids will ask questions. I have one grandson so far is interested in family history and has won state champion for family history. I spend 4 to 8 hours a day in the computer room a lady in the Gini club told me she wasn’t that dedicated. And I hope my kids and grandkids will pick up where I leave off, and my age I know I can’t do it forever. And hope they won’t take for granted what I have left them and let it go by the wayside!

[RenieT]

I always enjoy your videos and you have helped me a lot. I highly encourage you to meet your goal in meeting your DNA matches. I have been doing this and it has been a wonderful experience. It is amazing to me how there is so often an instant connection and how it helps you understand even more about your family.

[davidcadman]

Today, I was preparing my research for handing off to the next generation. and I tossed out a lot of paper files that were extraneous. I don't have the same problem on Ancestry or on my computer. I've been more careful with that stuff :D but I hear what Crista is saying. Hard drive space is not an issue with Terra Byte drives :D
As for data entry, I spent many years now, since 1980 working on the different computers. Then for 7 1/2 years as a manager of a mailing list (which was created by free volunteer labour) of over 100, 000 files. To say I learned the hard way about being careful about data entry, is an understatement.

[eeyoreable]

Thank you Crista! You do such a great job or explaining things so that they are understandable to me. Thanks again !

[lindagover]

All good tips. I've been searching over twenty years. Have spells of sorting and throwing out, but not as often as I should. I also use post-it notes, which are hard to keep up with. Will try to do better.

[rhra]

I love your videos. You explain everything so clearly. I have on my calendar to clean up my trees, but I have been avoiding it. However, after watching your video I feel like I have a plan of action. I know where to get started and that was what was holding me back. Thank you for all the videos.

[torchape]

Thanks, Crista!! For Christmas, my daughter got me a notebook called a Rocketbook Everlast. It is a reusable notebook for use only with Frixion pens. At the bottom of each page is a series of icons, each assigned to a specific file folder in your cloud or an email address. A phone app scans and directs each page to the folder designated by the logo. It creates either PDF or JPEG files. Also, if you take notes on multiple pages, you can select the app combine them into a single PDF file. Granted, there will not be a paper notebook to archive as the pages are saved digitally. After they are saved, you erase the pages with a moistened microfiber cloth. It works very well and I've been using it more and more, not just for genealogy, but for fiction writing, editing notes for my novel, etc.


Just thought I'd throw that out as this notebook works well for me.

[theresachenery]

This subject is exactly what I needed to hear, Thanks for the information!

[bonitabrunner]

I love your videos. I have learned so much from you and you keep me interested in genealogy when I hit rough spots.

[cassiefelix]

Thank you for the information on Tidying up, boy did I needed to hear that. I've been doing my tree for a very long time. I have a question about paper files. I have things my 2nd great grandmother had saved, and I now have them. Some things I know I don't need to save, but haven't tossed them, old Christmas cards from people. She also has old letters that really doesn't have history information, and some hard to read. Others date back to my 3 and 4 GGfather. I just don't know the best way to save them. How do you know what to keep, where to keep them, and what doesn't need to be kept. I sometimes find myself looking at something I've see before years ago because I haven't dealt with it correctly. Sorry for the long question, need some advice and I will be glad to hear from anyone who has ideas or have done it. Thanks

[lindashine]

My favorite genealogy notebook is called Elfinbook, The pages are somehow made of stone but they feel like smooth paper, so you can wipe them off with a damp cloth and reuse them over and over. If it turns out to be something I want to keep, it comes with software for your phone so you can take a picture of it and keep it. I don't work for them, I just really like it. I love OneNote too.

[SandiDandiLand]

Another great video of tips and helpful info, Crista. I love how real you are, in volunteering areas where you too make mistakes or have trouble.

I was excited to hear that you too are a Bullet Journaler! It's been some time since this video posted. Did you ever get around to creating anything about that for those of us that couldn't go to RootsTec and see your presentation about it? If you did, I would love to know how to access it and gain some tips!

[godisloveireland]

I always love watching your videos crista! So informative and helpful!! I have got a lot of certificates that dont apply to my family and want to get rid of them. Also i have certificates to do with my dna matches trees.

[sandilee]

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I really enjoyed this video.