I would suggest that the woman who wishes to deposit her research first try a local genealogical society or a county library in an area where the family was concentrated. I know of several cases where this was done. One of our researchers deposited her research in the TN State Library. However, it was quite extensive and well organized, as it was being prepared for a book. I would suggest also that her family first scan the materials into files with Adobe Acrobat. The full program (as opposed to the free Reader) is expensive, but very useful for genealogical work. Many researchers now keep all files on their computer and CDs, as they are much easier to organize and use. Paper files take up too much space. Of course, it is wise to keep several backup CDs. One should be placed at another location in case of fire. Adobe allows for easy insertion, deletion, etc., so the organization does not have to be correct initially. She can then easily make several CDs to give to family members and other researchers.There may be businesses who will scan the materials. I haven't heard any information about the lifetimes of CDs burned on a home computer, though. format obsolescence could also be a problem over many years. However, PDF seems to be the one most likely to survive. A local depository might actually prefer the data files over the paper copies. However, it is necessary to ask first. Bob Stafford