Looking after your ancestry!

Have you gone to a lot of trouble to research your family history? Have you spent more money than you would like to admit and collected certificates, photographs and heaps of information? If so, what are you going to do with it now? Your genealogy is very personal and it is up to you if wish to share your research or publish your findings, nonetheless, if you have collected loads of information you owe it to yourself and your descendants to care for it appropriately and treat it as the valuable resource that it is.
Store it correctly! If you have hard copies make sure they are stored in a logical sequence and kept in an acid free environment. If you maintain an electronic file, make sure it is backed-up. It is also worthwhile to scan any certificates, photographs or other important documents and keep electronic copies.
Identify documents, particularly photographs! Write in names, including your own, record dates and if possible the occasion to which the document refers. It is also useful to note the source of the document or photograph.
Keep it up to date! New records are constantly being uploaded to the internet, so it is worth rechecking databases or other sources once or twice a year.
Decide who you will pass it onto! Which family member will look after it, add to it and treasure it as much as you? Or should you pass it on with instructions while you can?
Whatever you choose to do, remember your genealogy research is valuable, so make sure you look after your ancestry!