by Cathy Gilmore | Sep 19, 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.
Part I: Am I my Brothers (Record) Keeper?
Part II: A Family Record Risk Assessment
Now that we’ve discussed the important role of record-keepers, and what risk factors help us prioritize our record rescue, we are finally ready to begin a record rescue in earnest. Put very broadly, here are the basic steps of the record rescue.
Before a single record is gathered, scanned, or indexed, we must prepare for the rescue by asking a few important questions. The first: What is your Why?
Establishing your “why” is a crucial step, because it’s a reason you will turn to again and again. Record rescuers will face countless challenges, face adversity, and experience burnout (and that’s just the first week!). Your “why”” will inspire you and others stay focused on the goal more than a “what” ever could.
Knowing your “why” will help you visualize what you want to have happen as a result of your record rescue. Your “why” can be specific or broad, tangible or intangible. Here are some examples:
- “I want my family to know who my grandmother was”
- “I want to ensure my Great-Grandfather’s influence will be felt for generations”
- “I want to help future researchers and historians”
- “I want my father to be remembered”
- “I want to change the hearts of my family”
Now that you’re thinking about your “why”, let’s also think about the “what”. The “what” is the scope of your record rescue. Your scope should answer these questions:
Who? Which? What? When?
In other words:
- Whose records are we rescuing?
- Which records are included?
- What are we doing to the records?
- When will we complete it?
For example:
- We are scanning grandma’s love letters by Christmas! (not photos, not greeting cards, not family letters)
- We are gathering all of the family records pertaining to Aunt Betty before she moves into her new home.
Advice on Scope
- Start small. You wouldn’t climb a mountain pulling a mountain of 15 boxes, but you could take a backpack. That’s actually a good rule of thumb: can you fit your record rescue in a backpack? If the answer is no, consider paring down the scope into something with reasonable, reachable boundaries.
- If possible, separate records based on record type. For example, rescuing grandma and grandpa’s love letters is easier when you don’t include t photos, slides, and diaries. The more record types you have, the more complex your project will be, especially during the scanning and preservation stages.
- Show success early and often. Keep your family engaged in the rescue by updating them on your progress and sharing records on social media.
In addition to knowing our “why” and “what”, there is one more step in our record rescue preparation: enlisting help. Stay tuned for our next installment where we discuss ways to engage your family in the rescue.
by Cathy Gilmore | Sep 10, 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.
In Part I of our Hoarder to Order series, we asked “Am I my Brothers (Record) Keeper?” and discussed the imporant role of family record rescuers. If you are one of those heroes committed to rescuing records, it may be difficult to know where to start. Knowing the risks that face family records helps us prioritize and understand what it means to truly rescue a record. Let’s start by stating the risks, identifying reasons why this happens, and how we can help.
Risk #1: Permanent Record Loss
Risk Factors
|
Result
|
How We Rescue
|
| Death Downsizing Relocation Record owner has mental or physical challenges |
Records are thrown out |
Take an inventory of family records to know who has what |
Let’s start with every record-keeper’s biggest nightmare right out of the gate: Records get thrown away. This risk is at its greatest when a family member dies, moves, or is purging their belongings. The presence of mental or physical challenges can often prevent record owners knowing how to keep and care for records. As a record rescuer, your job is to discover who has what records through conducting a basic inventory. Conducting a family record inventory is the first, crucial step in a record rescue. But what are the remaining risks?
Risk #2: Temporary Record Loss
Risk Factors
|
Result
|
How We Rescue
|
| Changes of record ownership (records passed down through generations) Hoarding, disorganization |
Records are lost or misplaced |
Update inventory & gather records (where possible) |
If you’ve kept your family record inventory updated, and gathered records (where possible) to prevent record loss, well done! But what are the remaining risks?
Risk #3: Record Damage
Risk Factors
|
Result
|
How We Rescue
|
| Records exist in original state only (not scanned or digitized) Improper storage or handling Records are exposed to, or at high risk for natural disaster (fire, flood, etc.) |
Records are damaged |
Digitize records and ensure physcial reocrds are properly stored |
So you’ve done an inventory, gathered records to prevent record loss, and digitized your records. Great! Is your job done? What are the remaining risks?
Risk #4: Inaccessible records
Risk Factors
|
Result
|
How We Rescue
|
| Records scattered among multiple owners Single owner, “Silo mentality” Donated with restrictions |
Records can’t be accessed |
Share digitized records on common platform |
Most responsible record-keepers have digitized their records. But how accessible are they? Do you work in a silo? How do other family members know your records exist?
If uou’ve kept your records, know where they are, scanned them, and made them accessible, are there any other risks? We’ve learned that making records accessible is not the end of the line. If your family cannot easily connect to and share records, there will be a record disconnect.
Risk #5: Record disconnect
Risk Factors
|
Result
|
How We Rescue
|
|
Unindexed records
Records that seem irrelevant, unimportant
Records in unsearchable, undiscoverable databases
Records that are handwritten or hard to read Difficulty extracting meaningful stories
|
Records Disconnect |
Transform your records in ways that make them shareable and connectable.
Make records completely searchable Provide a platform for simple record engagement and research
|
What is record disconnect, and why is it a risk? Because no matter how much work you put into gathering, digitizing and sharing records, if your family can’t connect with them in a meaningful way, they will remain unimportant and therefore at risk of being perpetuated. When is a record truly considered rescued? When it’s accessible, searchable, and relevant to your family.
How at risk are your family records?
In reviewing risk factors for family records, have you identified what records are most at risk in your family? Do you have an elderly family member reputed to have many family records. Is someone in your family preparing to downsize? Being aware of family situations helps us prioritize an overwhelming task by beginning where the need is most urgent. Stay tuned for Part III of our Hoarder to Order series, we will start our record rescue in earnest with record inventory and gathering.
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 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 | Sep 6, 2017 | Features, Software
Kindex is excited to announce several updates to our archival web software that will make indexing your family records faster and easier.
1. View Record Progress at a Glance
See at a glance your record transcription status with our new “In Progress” label. Start a new transcription (click “Transcribe”), finish incomplete transcriptions (click “In Progress”), or read completed transcriptions (click records with a white checkmark).
2. Transcribe Records Back-to-Back
Get transcriptions done quickly and efficiently with our new “Save & Do Next” option. When you are done transcribing a record, click “Save & Do Next” and Kindex will automatically load the next record in the Collection for transcription.
Alternatively, you can click “Save & Read”, which opens a new page where you can review, edit, or tag your transcription.
3. Transcribe tables, forms, and other tabular text with new table tool
Our new table tool enables you to create tables in the transcription field to transcribe records that require some organization of text, such as official records, ledgers, or records with columns or tabulated text. With the table tool you can add a table, merge, edit rows and columns, add a table header, and customize vertical and horizontal text alignment.
Hint: If you are transcribing text from common record types that have repeated fields (i.e., postcards, marriage records, ledgers), create a table template that designates data fields. Then, copy and paste the table from your existing transcription window into the transcription of each new record so transcribers can input the text in the correct fields.
4. Download archive data as a CSV file
Our CSV archive download is a fantastic tool archive owners can use to access archive data, analyze archive status and needs, and backup archive data.
To download your archive as a CSV:
- Log in to your archive and go to Manage Archive (click the green cog in upper right corner
) and
- Select the Tools tab.
- Click “Download Archive as CSV”)
Open your downloaded CSV file to your archive data. Includes Archive Name, Archive Subdomain, File Name, Collection, Title, Person, Description, Keywords, Provenance, Date, Place, Contributor, Transcription, and Tags.
We hope you find these tools helpful when transcribing your family or historical society records! Is there a feature you would like to see? Contact us and tell us about it.
It’s time to be the record rescuer your family needs. Start or upgrade your family archive on Kindex.org today.
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