Preserving Family History

When recording your own family history, it is important to preserve both the words of living individuals and objects from the past. Here are a few suggestions on how to do both:

WORDS

Interview family members over the holidays when you come together to celebrate. The festive atmosphere might bring back memories.
Tape record all of your interviews and make sure you label the tape with the date, time, and place it was recorded.
Try to interview one person at a time. It is much easier and people may feel freer to share if it is a conversation with one other person.
Make sure you ask each family member who their parents and grandparents were. Try to find out the state and county where they were born.

OBJECTS

Always store documents and photographs away from heat and sunlight.
Never use metal paper clips or staples to hold papers together. Plastic paper clips will not rust and ruin your documents.
Label all your photographs, keep them in acid-free sleeves and identify the people and places in each photograph.
Keep a list of the information you collect and store it in a separate place.

LOCATING INFORMATION ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is one of the most valuable sources of information about the history of our country and its citizens. With locations in seventeen states as well as the District of Columbia, the National Archives is far more accessible than most people know. Anyone can visit a NARA facility, obtain a research identification card, and gain access to a broad array of useful documents. These include: US Census data, military records, US Federal Court records, passport applications, Homestead applications, immigration records, Post Office records, and many, many others. Of particular interest to researchers of African-American history is the recently completed project to preserve and microfilm the records of the Freedmen's Bureau.

The NARA web site also contains tips on where to begin or how to continue genealogical research projects. The NARA also offers periodic workshops on genealogical and other types of research at both its Washington, D.C., and regional facilities. Visit the NARA web site for more information on Archive materials and programs.