> > > > > Family Tree Finders > > by Rhonda R. McClure > > Email: rhondam@sodamail.com > > ................................................................. > > > > FAMILY TREE FINDERS > > Friday - 9 March 2001 > > > > A reader's question about what to do with all of the > > research she has gathered over the years. > > > > FAMILY TREE FINDERS > > Friday - 9 March 2001 > > > > A Reader's Question: What To Do With My Research > > > > Q: Where do I leave my research when I die? At a local library? At a > University? The Mormon Church? In what form does it need to be in? Should > I label it for my family or put it in the will? -- Barbara > > > > A: While none of us likes to think about the inevitable final event, it > will happen to all of us. For genealogists, there is more to this. In > addition to the importance of bequeathing our personal and real estate, we > also need to keep in mind the research we have compiled and what will > happen to it. > > > > Ideally, you should be the individual to establish what will happen to > your records and research. It is important to you. You have exhausted > countless years into developing the family tree you now posses. You will > continue to make it grow as your research progresses. > > > > If you haven't done so, you will want to investigate the > > costs of publishing your research in a printed format. It doesn't have > to be done in a hard back, expensive volume. There are many of ways to > publish your research and keep the costs down. If you only want to publish > a few volumes, for donating to various libraries, then you may want to look > into the capabilities of one of the copy center companies, such as Kinkos. > > > > Most libraries would prefer a compiled book. The Family History Library > cannot accept file folders of our research. They will gladly accept a > book, but do not have the space or personnel to take our file folders or > numerous loose leaf notebooks and make them available. > > > > It is a good idea to discuss your concerns about your > > research with your family members. Sound them out to see if one of them > will pick up where you leave off in your > > research. If someone is willing, then you may want to > > stipulate that your records be given to that person. > > > > If your collection of research copies is extensive, you may want to visit > your local genealogical library or public > > library with a genealogy department and see if they may want your > collection. Some libraries have the space for such file folders or > vertical files as they are often called. Usually the research need to be > extensive, including a > > variety of unique and perhaps hard to come by records and resources. > > > > If you are like other genealogists, it is possible that you also have > many books. These will most definitely be welcome, usually at a local > library. If your local genealogy society has a permanent building, they > may also appreciate such donations to increase their collection. Again, > it is a good idea to ask someone ahead of time. Don't assume anything. > > > > Rhonda R. McClure > > rhondam@sodamail.com > > > * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ S O D A M A I L ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > If you know someone who would be interested in reading this > > newsletter, please forward this entire message to them! > > > > This is one of 25 Sodamail award winning newsletters > > and they're all FREE... go to <A HREF="http://www.sodamail.com/">http://www.sodamail.com/</A> > >