Save the Box

Operation: Recovery—Save the Box
12 Step Family History Program

January:

Gather all family history related materials you have access to; napkins and backs of envelopes can be valuable family history documents. For suggestions on what information to look for see: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Gather_Family_Information OR
http://www.preservingtime.org/gathering-the-stuff.html
Gather the stuff:
 Find a box and a location;
 ? One for each family member
 What kinds of stuff to gather—See links above
 Gather for living family not just deceased
 Encourage other family members to gather

February:

Digitize (Scan or photograph) the materials you have gathered;
 Learn about file formats and best practices before beginning a scanning project; see:
http://www.preservingtime.org/scanning-photos-and-documents.html and
http://www.preservingtime.org/photos-and-stories.html
 Store digitized materials in a safe environment after scanning. See:

http://www.preservingtime.org/more-on-archiving--the-good-the-bad-and-the-terrible.html
http://www.preservingtime.org/archiving-documents-and-photos.html
 Take photos of 3-D items that are important to the family
 Back-up all files before beginning the organization and labeling of the files
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March:

Label digital files; It is recommended you establish a standard file naming procedure before beginning. Help is available online. Good article: http://oregonstate.edu/cws/training/faq/what-are-good-file-naming-conventions
 ONCE AGAIN: back-up, BACK-UP, BACK-UP everything you do
 For help on identifying photos see: http://www.preservingtime.org/clues-to-identifying-photos.html
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 Back-up all digital files

April:

Upload photos or documentation to your family in Family Tree on FamilySearch.org; for help ask one of your ward family history consultants, a teenager or go to this link: https://familysearch.org/ask/#/memories/
Uploads to FamilySearch.org are backed-up in the Granite Mountain Vaults
 Connect uploads to every person on Family Tree that they include
 Title uploads and enter descriptive information. (These are searchable and may fish out a
cousin that can give you additional information.)
 Group uploaded memories into albums
 Type up personal, individual or family stories and copy and paste them to the “Stories”
section of “Memories” on an individual person page
 Upload audio files to FamilySearch.org; support .mp3 and .m4a files up to 15MB
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May:

Label printed photos in your possession; use an archival method (information: http://www.preservingtime.org/archiving-documents-and-photos.html)
 Label photos with date, location or circumstances if known
 Identify "all" individuals in photos as far as possible
 Video other family members as they look at a photo album to record the names of the people
they identify and record the stories they tell. Try to get access to the album and scan the
photos/pages
 Take current photos and set up an organization system for them; Back-up, BACK-UP,
BACK-UP all files
 Print photos from digital files so your family can more easily view and enjoy them
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June, July, August:

Take advantage of family reunions and vacations. Identify other relatives who have family photos and information. Make plans to meet with them and make copies/ digitize their information. Arrange to interview relatives about their lives; ask them about family history stories they may know. Record these interviews. (Many sites online have suggestions for conducting interviews and sample questions. One example: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Riverton_FamilySearch_Library/Family_Story_Room)
More information at: http://www.preservingtime.org/interviews.html; see links in other months for
additional helpful information
 Make a list of possible family to contact
 Make family history—continue family traditions; schedule family time and activities
 Record family history-- take photos and record audio and video; write down current stories
and special memories
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September:

October:

Photograph family treasures in your home; record the stories behind the items, where they came from and/or who they were passed down from.
 Video your family talking about the items that mean the most to them and the stories they
know about the item or memories it reminds them of
 Ask questions of other family members to find out where older items came from and what
they know about them
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November:

Take advantage of Thanksgiving and other family times to complete more Interviews
See: June, July, August for additional suggestions
 Make and record family history—continue family traditions; take photos and record audio
and video; write down current stories and special memories
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December:

Identify your family traditions. Record their origin. Record family stories about these traditions.
 Visit locations important to your family (such as homes lived in) and take photographs
 Find out more information about family traditions from family members you visit during the
holidays; Think of questions to ask ahead of your visits
 Take a Google Maps tour of an area where your family has lived
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Your birthday month:

Take time to record some of your own stories and identify pictures of yourself. Consider creating a timeline or recording highlights and lowlights of the past year each year on your birthday.
 Make sure there are photos of you—especially if you are the family photographer
 Interview yourself and record (audio or video) some of your memories and stories
 Write a personal history—focus on the most important events, stories and feelings, not
everything that has ever happened to you
 Start or continue writing in a journal
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A Condensed Digital copy of this handout available at:
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Mapleton_Utah_Family_History_Center