I ran across an article this week in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) entitled “Are your genealogy files in your will?” The article is actually a synopsis for another article appearing in the September/October issue of Family Chronicle magazine. The thrust of the articles is to remind family historians to create a list of important genealogical data and family heirlooms and to leave instructions for their distribution after death.
Reading the article in the AJC reminded me of a story shared by members of a genealogical society were I had spoken. They told me of a member who had recently passed. The woman had been an active member for 15 years and an avid genealogist for 30 years. This women had an entire room in her home dedicated to her research. Her work filled volumes. She had papers, books, and vital information stacked on bookshelves and in boxes floor to ceiling. All was well organized, but the total volume was overwhelming. When this women passed, her children came in, took one look, and threw 30 years of research into the garbage.
This dedicated genealogist was a wonderful person by all accounts. However, she failed in two key. Unfortunately, many genealogists make the same mistakes she did. First, she failed to instill a lasting love for genealogy in a child, grandchild, cousin, or other family member. She never helped nurture a love in her descendents to match the love she had for her own ancestors. She may have tried to find a willing participant and simply not gotten the desired results. When family won’t participate it makes the second failure all the more devastating. Her second mistake was the failure to leave a will or other clear instructions for the administration of her records and other vital information.
I realize some people don’t like to think about their own mortality. However, how can anyone work as a genealogist and not give one’s own demise some consideration? What good comes from our research if not left for others to find and use? These stories are a reminder to me to work with my own children. I must at least show them what I have found and let them know how important genealogy is me. I must also organize my records, photos, and heirlooms; then, list them and make clear, in writing, my desire regarding these precious artifacts as an inheritance or donation after my own parting. Hopefully, each of you will give similar thought to your priceless collections, and make proper preparations.
Leaving your genealogy research in your will is a great idea! At least it would have a chance of going to an organization where it would be appreciated and not the local landfill.
I have instructed my grandchild and my daughter that my research on my mother’s side goes to the home town library in Louisiana. My Dad’s side will do the same except it goes to a small town library in Alabama. I have checked both libraries and they do have a reference section and will take these family histories.
As a librarian of a large genealolgy collection, I have to add one more item to your list of mistakes. Many libraries simply don’t have shelf space for volumes of records from individual research. I suggest regular scanning of documents and copying files to DVD. It is much easier for a family to hand over a DVD copy of a file and much easier for libraries with limited space to accept it.
Another option might be the New England Historical Genealogical Society. They are now accepting material from all over the United States as much of our research does go back to New England. I suggest contacting them and finding out what is required. I know a donation to go toward indexing any of your research is always welcome by libraries who are willing to accept this material.
One place to look for ideas on adding a codicil to your will
comes from: Lineagekeeper. The article is titled “Will My Genealogy Records Survive Me?” (14Mar2011) Fam Hist Blog
http://www.famhist2.blogspot.com
It is very well written and deserves to be read.
9.27.11 –
I saved some collected histories in my own society when a president said we did not have room for donations of this kind. I objected strongly and was given the task of finding a place for records. Our local library assigned me some large file cabinets. One lady, who was a very long time member and passed away, had instructed her husband and children to donate 19 large binders to my society. I again stepped forward and found a home for them withing our files. Some day I know our collections, which is combined with our library, will need the room and hopefully someone, maybe me, will start scanning them or try to find a home either in a very large society or group like New England, LDS State Archives and not take the easy way out and throw them into the garbage. We genealogists should try to get our family stories in many locations such as DAR, Periodicals, Publications, our own books and donate copies all over. Maybe donate before you time here is completed and not leave it to family.
I concur with the last writer. As a library genealogy staff person and Archivist, I attempt to see that we save everything we can. But, we too are out of space already. I don’t like saving things to modern media as they keep outmoding it. Best to give it to LDS in Salt Lake City if your family absolutely refuses to pledge to honor all your work. Once I considered giving mine to the Western Reserve Historical Society for their genealogy dept. but they have been caught selling off things they sholdn’t have, not that they would sell off genealogy, but still……. So LDS in Salt Lake is my choice. With them it is/will be all available.
I have already done this in writing my own will, and just a thought for others: Make specific requests of what happens to your files from your computer!!! I have thousands of pages of research and I am in the process of writing detailed instructions as to family member(s) who are to receive certain subheadings (family names), so that interested descendants in EACH line of my gr-grandparents has my files, with instructions requesting that one person be assigned responsibility over the files for editing and forwarding to others.
FYI — the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and has an extensive collection of genealogies and local histories. Like NEHGS it is another suggestion.
I tried to give to the LDS Fam. Hist. Lib. in SLC a stack of 5″ X 12″ X 8.5″ of documents, etc. from an ancester, who was married to my ancestor and researched his side of the family, which is not any relation to me. Fabulous documentation with military records on onion skin paper, documents with wax seals, Docs. in neat little boxes–should have taken a picture. Plus a pedigree chart written on the an oil cloth written in calligraphy. They said no they didn’t want it, but I left it anyway to be looked at later. When I returned from lunch–the desk was surrounded by LDS supervisors, who were impressed with all of it. But they simply are not accepting peoples collections. They said they would catalog and keep the pedigree chart and the rest they might digitize and then give it back to me, so I gave it to a German translator from 1st floor basement and she said she would try to donate it to a museum????? I have never heard from them.
Libraries that will accept our genealogy are not easy to find, and I think they say they will accept it sometimes and then it is “sorta lost when someone tries to look at it later.”