Paper Filing Systems

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 01 Mar 2012 18:29

I am thinking about re-organising my paper filing as although I can find everything as it's referenced from FH (using the Source ID's), I took a look at this

http://barrysblog.mygenshare.com/news/l ... olor_codes

and wondered if it was worth the pain? I would need two sets at least as I have researched both my husbands Family and my own and a good chunk of my brother-in-law's, but for the latter I don't have many paper documents for.

I don't print items which I get originally in digital form, but I do have a good number of certificates and photocopies of many miscellaneous items.

ID:5973

Bonzo · Post by **Bonzo** » 01 Mar 2012 20:07

Document manager software is available in free and paid versions although I have never tried any.

When I look before you could keep track of physical paper documents as well as electronic ones.

Post by **tatewise** » 01 Mar 2012 21:13

That link should be http://barrysblog.mygenshare.com/lunch_and_learn/color_codes

Merenwen · Post by **Merenwen** » 01 Mar 2012 21:14

It looks like a really good system. I've come across colour coding filing outside of family history and it works well there. I think it would be worth a shot, although I'm not 100% sure how well it will work with generation 6, 7, etc. My system is very much set up in family groups and the problem I'm having is relating family groups back to me or my husband. Hopefully this will solve that.

As to electronic document system, well, that's well and good till you have a system crash or your file is corrupted! Plus I don't really want to keep referring to my computer when I'm showing my work off to family members nor can I as the study with the PC is too small to get the family members in. So the lounge is the show room for family history.

I think the trouble would be to find the supplies. Tabbed document wallets is not something I've come across in office supplies in the UK. Time for some improvisation with card and tape.

Jenny143 · Post by **Jenny143** » 07 Mar 2012 13:13

Hi,
This works for me. I have tried various ways to organise and link paper and digital info - I have developed a system using the Record Id generated for each individual by Family Historian. I have a ring binder for each Family History Project and then label a plastic wallet for each individual eg Folder = Cornell, plastic wallet = COR001 COR002 into which I put any paper info - certificates etc. I then use the same system to store digital info on the computer - main folder Cornell then sub folder COR001 etc which contains census images,scans of certificates, letters, photos etc. It takes a while to set up but it means you can find anything related to an individual very easily.
Regards
Jenny

Merenwen · Post by **Merenwen** » 07 Mar 2012 13:33

If that works for you: Great! Don't change a thing!

BUT I don't find paper systems relating to one individual very usefull due to marriage certificates and census. I don't really fancy having 8 copies of 1 census image. I tried that and it got very messy. Plus I only have 1 marriage certificate with 4 people mentioned on it and 2 individuals I want to file it with. And I don't have access to a photo copier or scanner. Don't want to file it with just the husband as that would make me constanly pull out 2 files when checking 1 person.

So now I subscribe to the family group method of filing. The only hick-up with that is the instances where I find the fathers name on the childs marriage certificate. But good source referencing in FH solves that.

gerrynuk · Post by **gerrynuk** » 07 Mar 2012 15:14

If I could add my two-penn'orth!

My filing system is in three parts:

1. Family Group File

Contains a single sheet for each family listing the parents and children with birth/marriage/death dates and the Record ID for each individual together with the Marriage Certificate, Licence and related/similar documents. The family listing is a slightly amended version of the FH standard Family Group Sheet which I can print off as required (for example, if additional children are discovered or if corrections are made). Sheets are stored alphabetically by the husband's name. If I need to find the wife's Family Group Sheet then her Individual Record Sheet will tell me the name of her husband. (The rational of this is that I am more likely to know the name of the husband - old baptism records may only name the father - and most (all?) genealogical software puts the husband first, as does for example, the standard GRO Marriage Cert etc.) If either spouse re-married then there is a separate record for each marriage.

2. Individual Record File

Single sheet based on the FH Individual Summary Report together with any documents relating to that person other than the original of marriage documentation and photos. The sheet includes the individual's Record ID as a cross-reference to the Family Group Sheet as well as Birth/Marriage/Death Dates and names of parents and children. Sheets are filed alphabetically by name.

3. Everything Else

Generally I do not keep photos with the individual or family records. Many photos will show unrelated/unknown people so filing the originals with an individual or family is not entirely helpful. In any case I scan all photos and documents as I receive them so I can always print off copies to put with individuals and family records if required. Also, oversized certificates and photos are filed here - but I can put a reduced print-off with the individual or family record.

Where practical everything is kept in A4 (or larger) lever arch files and transparent pockets - acid free if needed. Obviously framed photos or photo albums, Family Bibles, scrolls etc would have to be kept in separate suitable storage.

I have designed what I hope is a simple system as I am more likely to maintain it if I have less work to do! So no colouring of tabs and folders, for a start! If you want to do it that way and have the time then by all means go ahead. No system is right for everyone but some systems are needlessly complicated.

Post by **hsw** » 07 Mar 2012 15:50

My paper filing is very simple - I file by (1) type of document and (2) order of acquisition. The reference for any particular document is XXXNNNN where XX identifies the document type (e.g. BIR for birth certificate, PR for copied page of parish register) and NNN increments from 001.

I scan every document that I get as paper if possible (I have still to find a satisfactory method of scanning A3 copies) and create a source in FH. The reference to my paper copy goes in custom ID and the electronic media (if it exists) is linked to the source. The source gets a long title that completely identifies it).

I do it this way because I almost never need to refer back to the paper copy, but if I do, it's because a query has arisen when looking at it within FH.

Post by **tatewise** » 07 Mar 2012 20:29

To scan A3 copies it is often possible to scan each half of the document as A4, especially with a flat-bed scanner, with the lid open if necessary.
If necessary rotate the the two A4 images so they are the correct way up.
Then use an image editor to splice the two images together.
The detailed technique will depend on which editor you use.
A popular free image editor is IrfanView.

gerrynuk · Post by **gerrynuk** » 07 Mar 2012 21:23

tatewise said:
To scan A3 copies it is often possible to scan each half of the document as A4, especially with a flat-bed scanner, with the lid open if necessary.
...
A popular free image editor is IrfanView.

... or just photograph it. Put it on the floor in a well lit room and make sure there are no shadows. Use small weights to hold down the corners. Stand where you won't cause a shadow - on a chair if necessary (be careful!) - and try to get vertically over the document. Leave a small margin around the document - doesn't matter if there is a carpet underneath, you can crop it afterwards using Irfanview or Picasa (easier to use than Irfanview and quite a capable package - also available for a Mac computer). Both packages also let you adjust the image.

Or stick it to a blank wall with blu-tack or similar and then prop the camera on a convenient table (use books to raise the camera) or use a tripod.

With a little experimenting you can get good results - perhaps not as good as professional scanning but a lot cheaper and quicker.

The Ancestry.co.uk Members area at the WDYTYA show last month in London was offering free photographic scanning and could accommodate sizes larger than A3. With a bit of research you might find a similar facility at a local family history show.

Post by **hsw** » 08 Mar 2012 09:37

Thanks for the advice. I have Irfanview and PSP but have never manage to stitch two images together satisfactorily; maybe I should try again. I'll try to borrow a tripod and see if photography works for me...

sdl180 · Post by **sdl180** » 08 Mar 2012 13:01

Hi Helen,

I haven't used Irfanview, but I have scanned and stitched many photos, documents and maps (stitching with a different photo editor). I would imagine the stitching would be similar and would suggest two things to help.

1. Make sure there is a reasonable overlap visible on both scans.
2. Before stitching it is sometimes a good idea to straighten up the scans. Most image editing software should have this facility.

Good luck.

Steve

Beardshaw · Post by **Beardshaw** » 08 Mar 2012 17:40

If anyone is trying to scan oversize documents or even photographs that are permanently fastened in photo albums or perhaps in frames then they might do well to consider one of the new Flip-Pal scanners from My History.

The scanner is brilliant at overlapping and comes with Easy-Stitch software for joining all the images together. When I say easy, it really is just a case of selecting the images you just scanned and the program does the rest. As yet I havent found a limit to the number of scans that may be stitched but I do know that 9 or 12 scans on an A3 document works perfectly.

It's perfect for carrying around as it is completely stand alone and works off batteries and the results are much better than using a camera.

Take a look at http://www.my-history.co.uk/acatalog/Fl ... anner.html

Hilary · Post by **Hilary** » 08 Mar 2012 20:56

I bought a Flip-Pal and agree that it is great at stitching together several scans much easier than anything else I have used and very portable.

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 09 Mar 2012 06:43

I have a Flip-Pal as well, great little bit of kit.

I can recommend using Faststone Image viewer for cropping as it can crop and skip to the next image, great when you have scanned 60 or 70 photos while watching TV.

I also created a plugin for V5 which will rename attached images to match their title in FH which makes for a quick way to tidy all the scan0000.jpg files.

ireneblackburn · Post by **ireneblackburn** » 16 Mar 2012 09:09

I bought myself a Flip Pal, it is amazing, I can't believe how light it is.

I also followed the link to Barry's Blog, and I now have two boxes, one for my family and one for my husband's. It took me 3 days to file everything because I kept noticing things, seeing things I had forgotten about and so on, but now I have a system that works for me.

I the past I kept births together, marriages together and so on, but then I had bits of correspondece, copies of wills, nespaper clipping ... now they are all sorted out in a way that feels right.

Thanks for the tip Jane

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 16 Mar 2012 09:35

Glad you found the filing tip useful Irene, the Flippal really is child's play to use, as my twin nephews (aged 7) proved at the weekend by scanning 200 old photographs for me, kept them quiet for a couple of hours.

Post by **nsw** » 16 Mar 2012 13:48

What a pity you didn't have a chimney that needed sweeping!

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 16 Mar 2012 17:48

What a pity you didn't have a chimney that needed sweeping!

The trouble is they would probably think it was a good game, when Harry was not quite 5 he climbed so far up a tree that my sister had to actually climb the tree to help him get down.

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