by Cathy Gilmore | Mar 11, 2018 | Features
Kindex Co-founder Cathy Gilmore presented “Hoarder to Order: a Step-by-Step Family Record Rescue” at RootsTech 2018. This presentation examines why records are at risk, discusses obstacles to family record preservation, and gives a step-by-step overview of how record-keepers can rescue their family records. We will be sharing excerpts from her presentation on the Kindex blog.
Most of you will recognize this young woman as Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who kept a diary while in hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Her diary provid a vital, personal voice to the war experience and went on to become literary and historical treasure.
Anne Frank, c1940. Unknown photographer; Collectie Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam – Website Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam
Do you recognize this woman?
Hermine Santruschitz, also known as Meip, was among those who helped Anne Frank and her family hide in the annex during World War II. Her service to the Frank family continued after the war when she retrieved Anne’s diary from the annex and took the diary to Anne’s father, Otto, the only surviving member of the Frank family. Anne was the record creator, but Meip was the record rescuer. Without Meip, Anne’s story could have been lost to history.
Many of us are the “Meips” of our family: we are the record rescuers. While we do not face the same obstacles as the Frank family, we have a great responsibility to ensure our family records are not lost, damaged, or thrown away. As keepers of family records in an increasingly digital age, we are among the last generations who will create or save written family records. Stored in boxes or on closet shelves, our records are not just the museum pieces of the future—they are the ultimate key to our family history, the tablula rasa that coming generations will turn to for answers.
Which leads us to the question: Am I my brother’s (or grandmother’s, or uncle’s, or cousin’s) record keeper? We must be. As the gatekeepers of family records, how do we fulfill our responsibility to rescue them and preserve both our family’s legacy and add their voices to history? From boomers to millennials, we bear the collective responsibility to rescue history through our family records.
How do we begin? From inventory, to scanning, to digital archiving, each step of a record rescue could easily be (and probably is) a class of its own. It can be overwhelming, but there is hope. The purpose of this series make a family record rescue manageable, give tips for success, and inspire each of you to take action.
Next up: Hoarder to Order Part II: A Family Record Risk Assessment. We will discuss why family records are at risk and review common obstacles families face in record-keeping and preservation.
by Cathy Gilmore | Feb 27, 2018 | Stories from the Archive
Despite all the busyness of preparing for RootsTech, this morning I had a few quiet moments this morning thinking of our Grandma Dorothy Smith Clark. I wondered, what was she doing this week, so many years ago? I searched “Feb 27” on her Kindex archive, and found these diary pages from 1928:
Sunday Feb 26th
Stay home from S S with Virgil who has a bad cold. Go to church with Lucille & to Mutual. In our J class we discuss getting or “J” pin. Discuss contest numbers for M.I.A. Day & began plan for Progressive Supper.
Monday Night Feb 27 Lucille P. and I went down to Galt Hospital to see Anna Nielson who had her appendix out last Friday. She was feeling pretty good. We took her some flowers in behalf of our Junior class.
Wed. Feb 29th – Leap year
We washed & in P.M. I went to bed as I had a little sore throat.
Thurs. Mar 1st Spring weather
March 2nd
Friday. I’m up & better. Sr. Wallburger sends us some cakes & tarts.
Nothing much: some church activities, a sore throat, a visit to a friend, and a comment on the weather. And yet, it is so much, because with every found page the knowledge of who she was becomes more complete. Getting face-to-face with her history is one the greatest gifts I can think of.
What will you discover when you index your family records? Try it out free on Kindex.org.
by Cathy Gilmore | Feb 20, 2018 | Uncategorized
You don’t need to be a hoarder to need a family record rescue. The backbone of our family history, family records like letters, journals, and photos are at risk of being lost, damaged, or thrown away. In my presentation “Hoarder to Order: A step-by-step family record rescue” , we’ll walk through the essential steps transforming your family records into an archive that is preserved, accessible, and searchable. Here’s a sneak peek of what we’ll be covering in a presentation packed with tips, comparisons, collaborative ideas, and access to organizational templates.
- When: Thursday, March 1st at 1:30 p.m.
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Where: Ballroom J
- Session Number: RT9825
Intro: Family Records at Risk
Step 1: Prepare
- Find your “Why”
- Set the Scope
- Rescue Team Assemble!
Step 2: Gather
- Inventory
- Records
Step 3: Digitize
- Scan
- Process
- Add Data
Step 4: Preserve
- Physical
- Digital
Step 5: Transform
ROOTSTECH CLASS SCHEDULE
Stop by our “Open House” and say hello!
Along with exhibitors Shotbox and Flip-Pal, Kindex will be part of a larger exhibit focused on family record preservation and archiving. This will be a fun, collaborative effort where you can wander through our “home” and discover how to rescue your family records. Kindex will be in booths 1303, 1402, 1404 adjacent to the Heirloom Show & Tell.
CHECK OUT THE EXPO HALL
by Cathy Gilmore | Feb 12, 2018 | Features, Software
We are excited to announce the release of a major update to Kindex archival software, with several new features that will make creating your searchable family archive faster and easier. We’ve maximized space, improved archive organization, and enhanced record navigation and transcription. Check out the updates below or watch our Kindex Feature Update video.
Organize & Browse Your Archive
- Enjoy an expanded viewing area for your records
- Access tools to add, filter, move, and delete records
- Click a record to view or edit (add a transcription, description, or metadata). Note removal of “Transcribe” on record thumbnail. Purple checkmarks indicate indexing is complete.
- View All Records or Indexed Records
- View your archive record total and indexing progress
Manage Your Collections
- View Collection record totals
- Organize your Collections by using Sub-Collections
- Use collections to filter your record views or search
- Hover over record number to edit or move Collections
View & Transcribe Records
Navigate your Archive
- When a record is open, you can view and edit records consecutively with new new navigation buttons above the record
- The same navigation buttons appear below, along with a Save button
- A button under the transcription shows indexing progress as Complete or In Progress. When a transcription is done, click the “Read it!” link to read the completed transcription
We hope you enjoy this update. Let us know what you think!
SIGN UP OR LOG IN
by Cathy Gilmore | Nov 3, 2017 | Features
Many Kindex users have asked us, “What exactly do I get when I sign up for Kindex?” We’re glad you asked! Here’s a summary of all our key features.
Create Your Cloud or Closet Archive
- Kindex Cloud archive is a publicly accessible archive. Cloud owners may invite Collaborators to add or index records. Guests must have a free, “Kindexer” account to index records.
- Kindex Closet archive is a private, invite-only archive. Closet owners may invite Collaborators to add or index records. It is only accessible and searchable to the archive owner and invited Collaborators
- All archives receive a custom subdomain, can add unlimited records, and may invite unlimited collaborators
- Archive backed by Amazon Web Services.
Gather Your Records
- Add unlimited records (jpg, png, pdf up to 15MB each)
- Import Memories from FamilySearch.
- Individual or batch uploads
Collaborate with Others
- Invite unlimited friends and family to access the archive, free
- Collaborators can search, add, and index records
- Unite records scattered among various households or locations
- Create a crowdsourced indexing project (public archives only)
Share Your Records
Share records & transcriptions with anyone on a custom page
Add Data to Your Records
- Add searchable metadata (title, description, keywords, etc.) in single records or in batches
- Add a transcription with our built-in transcription tools
- Add tags for people, places, and events
Search Your Records
- Easily and quickly search every word of your archive
- Search includes metadata and transcriptions
Archive Tools
- Download your archive data as a CSV or XLS file
- Download your archive records as a ZIP file
- Print individual transcriptions as QR-Coded PDFs
- View record totals and indexing stats
Support
- Free customer support
- Free training
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