This month as you gather with friends and family (genetic, adopted, and/or chosen) you may swap old stories, look at photos, and remember some of your shared history. While you’re at it, why not take a moment to think about preserving some of that history? 

The first step to any project like this would be to take a moment and take stock of what you have. Digital or film photographs, home movies, scrapbooks, recipe cards, old documents (letters, postcards, and the like), and other mementos. 

Next, mull over what goals or results you’re after – just saving backups of whatever you have, or something more? What’s important to you, keeping these things secure and/or making them easy to share with other family members? Your goals will help you decide what to do next. 

Let’s start with the basics. Whatever you want to save should stay in a climate-controlled space. That means not in a shed, garage, attic, unfinished basement, or somewhere outdoors. Different types of materials have their own ideal temperatures, but they generally appreciate a steady and comfortable climate.  

Another good rule of thumb is that whenever possible don’t leave anything rolled up, folded, leaning, or anything other than laid out flat. And while we tend to think of ink as being more permanent, it’s also prone to running, so use a pencil whenever you’re adding notes and details. Speaking of making notes, they definitely fall into the category of "the more the merrier,” because not everyone will recognize who’s who in a photograph or know exactly when you took that one road trip, and memory is a slippery thing anyway.  

Keep in mind that any wear and tear from handling will add up over time. You’ll want to reduce how much you need to grab, grip, pull, or otherwise mess with the items you’re trying to save. That’s part of why archive-y folks like to place things in folders instead of envelopes. 

We have plenty of (free) resources available if you want to know more about preserving what you already have, from our recent Archives Month library programs on saving your Family Heirlooms and curating your own Digital Archive,  as well as our year-round DIY Archiving Resources stash.

There’s always the option to make something new; my favorite is a personal history interview. We’ve got resources and how-tos for every step of the process, but the core of it is recording an interview of someone with an interesting story so that their experiences and their voice are preserved for others to hear. We have hundreds of interviews in our archive, but here are a few that are centered around family history: 

• Meg's interview with their grandparents, Mary Moore Nance and John Nance

• Recording in memory of Della Alvarez

• Interview with Carrie Coppernoll

• Interview with Jane Bush

• Interview with Minnie Belle Churchill

• Interview with Barth Bracken

• Interview with Carolyn Waterman

• Interview with Edith Turner

• Interview with Margaret F Bell Tampkins and Leonard Tampkins Jr

• Interview with Thelma Brauser

• Interview with Carol McReynolds, Doris Zeiser, and Judy Aarons