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4/20/2000
Get
It Together
-
by Liz Kelley Kerstens, CGRS
This
columns is posted on the Clooz.com Web site with
permission of
MyFamily.com. The
column was originally posted on the Ancestry.com
Web site.
Naming/Numbering Your Documents
Any successful indexing system requires a unique number
for each element that is entered. This unique number is
the key to finding items within a filing system. The
traditional approach to filing is to name file folders by
their contents. The approach to naming genealogical
documents that I recommend is similar. Calling something
what it is, i.e. a "Birth" record, is the
simplest and most straightforward way to label your
documents. Whether you choose to file your documents in
ring binders or hanging file folders, you will still need
to have an overall label for each container.
If you’ve managed to sort your documents into piles
based on the event being documented, you’re ready to
begin numbering. Grab the first document and label it
"Event 001"–not literally, but substitute the
word Event for the actual event name. So, if you’re
working on your birth records first, label the first
document "Birth 001".
DO start with the leading zeros before the number one,
especially if you’re using a computer to sort your
cross-reference index. This method of numbering will keep
your documents in numerical order. The full explanation is
complicated, but rest assured that making the effort to
add the leading zeros is well worth it in the long run!
DON’T worry about the order of the documents within
the pile you’re working on. It’s sufficient to have
them separated by document type. If you get too worried
about the order they are in, your system will have to be
adjusted every time you add a new document that falls
within your ordered documents. The cross-reference index
will help you find your documents so their order is
irrelevant within categories.
DON’T write in ink directly on your document,
especially if it’s a one-of-a-kind document. If you want
to get your documents labeled and place them in their
sheet protectors or folders later, you can write in pencil
on the back of the document. You should try to use the
same spot, perhaps the upper left corner on the back, so
you always know where to look.
DO try to label documents and put them in their final
destinations at the same time. This is more efficient and
helps you to see progress quicker. This is why it is
always recommended that you have all the necessary
supplies on hand when you get started. At times when I don’t
have time to do data entry, I find it easiest to put my
documents in top-loading sheet protectors, create the
document label and place it on the upper outside corner of
the sheet protector, and then put the sheet protector in
the appropriate ring binder. This way my documents have
been filed, even if I haven’t yet had time to extract
the pertinent data from them. When I do enter the data, I
always print a copy of the data extraction report for each
document and place a copy in front of the document so I
know that that document has been extracted. This helps to
quickly locate documents that still need attention within
the ring binders.
DO try to finish one pile at a time instead of flitting
between piles. You’ll see yourself developing a momentum
that should be sustained as long as you can keep going.
When you finish one pile, reward yourself (unless it only
contained two documents!). Or, if you’re feeling
motivated, start on the next pile and go until you’re
tired.
DO remember that you love genealogy and documents are
the glue that binds people together. You need to care for
these documents so you can find them when you need them!
Elizabeth Kelley
Kerstens, CGRS,
is the managing editor of Genealogical Computing,
editor of the Board for Certification of Genealogists’
newsletter OnBoard, the creator of Clooz—the
electronic filing cabinet for genealogical records, and a
frequent contributor to Ancestry. She can be
reached via e-mail at liz@ancestordetective.com.
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