Saturday, July 28, 2012

GENEALOGY SUPPLIES FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR FIELD TRIPS



I have been thinking about taking a trip back home to Massachusetts for quite some time now, but the need and desire to take that trip is growing exponentially with each passing day.  

I have recently began to wonder what it is I would need to bring with me, because I know when I go back that I am going to maximize my time with research and by visiting family. 

I know that there are many supplies which I will need to bring, but that I forget to include; so, I thought I would make a list for my reference (and for anyone else's), so that when the time comes I will have an adequate checklist to go by. 

I began thinking of what I would use for all my research, but then realized that the tools and equipment I would need for my outside research is not the same as that which I would need for my inside research. Well, not entirely anyway. So, I broke it down for myself into two simple groups: one for outdoor use and the other for indoor use. 

I thought that if I were to share this list, maybe others would have suggestions and or feedback as to what they bring with them or use while they were both out in the field and/or inside court houses and other indoor places of research. 

This is not a comprehensive list by far, but it is what I was thinking I would need while on the go, and thought if I placed it online, on this blog, then I would be able to reference it anytime I have access to the internet -- be it through my smart phone or through a tablet or through my laptop, and I would also be able to edit it from anywhere as well, so should I think of something while I am at a store shopping, or when I am at an LDS Family History Library (FHL), I could make adjustments to it. 

Please let me know what you would or do bring with you as well, I would love to compare notes! 


SUPPLIES FOR GENEALOGY FIELD TRIP – CEMETERY / OUTDOORS

First, and most importantly, make sure you always know the rules of the places you are going! If possible, make an appointment to meet with the caretaker or the custodian of any where you will be going to find out what their policies are at their location.   

Second, ALWAYS be mindful of the local and county and state laws regarding the use of a camera or other digital recording and record keeping equipment.  Some venues do not allow the use of such material, even cell phones are disallowed in some areas. Venture forward with caution. 

R     List of names, places and exact locations you wish to visit on this trip; plan ahead and write a statement for yourself on what you wish to accomplish on this excursion

R     Backpack or Rucksack for keeping everything in and for making traveling in rough areas easier
R     Cell phone / Smart phone and GPS or GPS app on smart phone, to pin point exact coordinates of where you are (latitude / longitude) for recording exact locations of everything you find

R     Digital Camera (at least 5 Mega Pixel) and camera bag, plenty of memory sticks, extra batteries
R     Large & Small notebooks, for keeping records of everything you do, every where you go, and for everything you learn. Also helps for drawing maps to where you are going and where you have been
  
R     Multi-colored pens (red, blue, green, black) and mechanical pencils
R     plenty of water for drinking and water for cleaning off dusty grave stones
R     wash rags, for scrubbing gravestones clean  and heavy duty gallon sized zip-lock-style bags, for keeping wet wash rags in 

R     hand tools, such as hand trowels, hand shears, hikers shovel, military entrenching tool, and dust brush, for cleaning around grave stones and removing over growth

R     Pocket knife / utility knife / survival knife (you never know when it will come in handy)
R     A Tape Measure – I know this might sound like an odd piece of equipment to bring with you, but if you are measuring distances between stones and size of stones or inscriptions, these come in handy!

R     ADD YOUR IDEAS AND GEAR HERE!



SUPPLIES FOR GENEALOGY RESEARCH TRIP – INDOORS (COURT HOUSE, FHL, ETC)

First, and most importantly, make sure you always know the rules of the places you are going! If possible, make an appointment to meet with the caretaker or the custodian where you will be going, being mindful of the policies they have at each location.

Second, DRESS APPROPRIATELY!  I cannot emphasize this enough… All too often, when going out to research your genealogy in public places, far too many people do not think that their appearance matters. When entering court houses and public offices, you should NOT be dressed in jeans and a t-shirt! If you are male, perform one simple task: shave. You do not need to be clean shaven, but you cannot be scraggly and appearing unkempt. Male or Female, You should always dress comfortably, yet professionally. How you look and how you present yourself to those you are interacting with will be a direct correlation as to their first impression of you and your seriousness. As the old saying goes, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression”. That first impression will be the basis of how you are perceived and how you are treated. It may not be what is said, it may not be right, but on a subconscious level, everyone does it.  

Third, ALWAYS be mindful of the local, county and state laws regarding the use of a camera and digital record keeping equipment.  Some venues do not allow the use of such material; regrettably, even cell phones are disallowed in some areas. Venture forward with caution by calling ahead and asking what the venue’s policy on laptops, scanners, digital cameras and recording devices are.

When calling, ask to speak to the person in charge of records and archives; ask them what their policies are with regards to the equipment you will be bringing with you, and if they could cite the policy and rules and tell you the places where these can be located if you need to reference them again; are they publicly available online or in the town hall’s offices? If they are publicly available, where can you obtain copies or print outs? Whether or not any equipment is allowed inside is irrelevant at this point; what matters is that you have the documentation that is or is not allowed. Armed with this information, as well as the contact names and numbers of the people you will be meeting with and the places you will be going, you will have a much easier time getting through some of the more strict security checkpoints.  

R     Laptop or tablet computer loaded with genealogy software and image renderers; make sure to include all the power cords and external devices you need to work with quickly and efficiently (such as a small power strip, a mouse and mouse pad, etc.)

R     Portable / External USB Powered Hard Drive with your genealogy research files backed up and saved on there, in case you are not able to edit or use the family tree on your computer; also useful if you need to copy data to and from other computers or to and from other patrons

R     Digital Camera (at least 5 Mega Pixel) and camera bag, plenty of memory sticks, extra batteries 
R     Portable Hand / Page Scanner (great for scanning books and old photographs)
R     Multi-colored pens (red, blue, green, black) and mechanical pencils and a ruler  
R     Large & Small notebooks, for keeping records of everything you do, who you have spoken with (including their title, if possible) and for everything you learn. Also helps for making notations about the condition of the documents and film you are working with for future reference; also good for keeping track of special call numbers and book titles in libraries. If an ISBN is available for a book, make sure to write that down as well. Perhaps there are copies on the internet which are within your price range or perhaps you may find an electronic copy of the same book and/or reference material.  Also used for jotting down sources or other book titles and authors while you are reading and researching.

R     Plenty of Blank research documents, such as family group sheets, pedigree charts, check lists of available documents (if known), as well as plenty of change and single bills for use of copiers and printers; don’t forget to bring a few empty document holders, such as manila folders or large manila envelopes, to store your printed documents and photos in.

R     Gloves; thin white cloth as well as non-acid and non-latex based plastic and rubber ones; food handlers disposable gloves are ideal, since they are thin enough for you know how much pressure and force you are using in your hands while handling a document, but also thin enough to protect the documents and/or film from the natural oils of your skin, which are highly corrosive to old documents. REMEMBER: If you are allowed to handle original documents, handle them with reverence.

R     ADD YOUR IDEAS AND GEAR HERE! 


Once again, Please let me know what you would or do bring with you as well! 


I would love to compare notes!

~ Vince ~ 








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