I was hoping this group might know of a book or article on this particular problem as all family historians will be facing it one day (or at least our descendants will be!) I was talking to a friend today whose mother was the family historian and genealogist. She had traced both her mother's and father's family lines back to the Civil War and beyond. When she died she left all of her hard won research behind to children who do not share her passion for genealogy and are overwhelmed by the volume of stuff. Of course my friend was suffering pangs of guilt because she didn't want to throw it all out but I could tell she didn't want to keep all of it either. Of course as a family historian myself, even without seeing what she has, I know that there is important research that some descendant some time in the future will find valuable. Plus there may be others out there searching the same family lines that will find the research valuable. Is there a "Goodwill" for genealogical research that she could donate her mother's research to? Her dilemma made me think of all my research neatly filed away in my file cabinet and in archival boxes in my closet. Will I end up burdening my children with too much stuff that they won't know what do with? Perhaps now is the time to decide how we want our descendents to dispose of it or try to condense it down into a manageable size. I am sure other family historians have faced this same problem so there must be a good solution, and if not maybe we can put our creative brains together and comes up with one. Alyce C Traverso Walnut Creek, CA **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)

I know the Allen County Public Library, in Fort Wayne, Indiana (which has the second-largest genealogy collection in the nation), will accept donations of genealogy research in some cases. I do not know if any restrictions apply. Why don't you contact the reference staff in the Genealogy Center? Mark Lomax Pasadena, CA On 4/5/08, AlyceTrave@aol.com <AlyceTrave@aol.com> wrote: > > I was hoping this group might know of a book or article on this particular > problem as all family historians will be facing it one day (or at > least our > descendants will be!) I was talking to a friend today whose mother > was the > family historian and genealogist. She had traced both her mother's > and father's > family lines back to the Civil War and beyond. When she died she left > all > of her hard won research behind to children who do not share her passion > for > genealogy and are overwhelmed by the volume of stuff. Of course my > friend was > suffering pangs of guilt because she didn't want to throw it all out but > I > could tell she didn't want to keep all of it either. Of course as a > family > historian myself, even without seeing what she has, I know that there is > important research that some descendant some time in the future will find > valuable. Plus there may be others out there searching the same family > lines that > will find the research valuable. Is there a "Goodwill" for genealogical > research that she could donate her mother's research to? > > Her dilemma made me think of all my research neatly filed away in my file > cabinet and in archival boxes in my closet. Will I end up burdening my > children with too much stuff that they won't know what do with? Perhaps > now is the > time to decide how we want our descendents to dispose of it or try to > condense it down into a manageable size. I am sure other family > historians have > faced this same problem so there must be a good solution, and if not > maybe we > can put our creative brains together and comes up with one. > > Alyce C Traverso > Walnut Creek, CA > > > > **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. > ( > http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016 > ) > ************************** > Visit SFGenealogy.com! > http://www.sfgenealogy.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CASANFRA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

AlyceTrave@aol.com wrote: > Her dilemma made me think of all my research neatly filed away in my file > cabinet and in archival boxes in my closet. Will I end up burdening my > children with too much stuff that they won't know what do with? Perhaps now is the > time to decide how we want our descendents to dispose of it or try to > condense it down into a manageable size. I am sure other family historians have > faced this same problem so there must be a good solution, and if not maybe we > can put our creative brains together and comes up with one. Specify in your will that you wish your research to go to a specific relative *but* in the event of them not wishing to take charge of or continue with your research it should be donated to the LDS or other designated repository. You could also consider donating it, or a copy of it, to your local family history society, the State/County Archive. Think of all the places where you go to do research and consider donating to one of them. Check with the various repositories to make sure they are willing to take deposits. Some will welcome them, others won't. I'm in England, so copies of my research is going to the Society of Genealogists and the relevant parts to the many County Record Offices where I have family. There's also a copy going to the LDS. I have a website and there is provision in my will for funds to continue the site after I have joined my ancestors.