Choose
a family history format
Captioned Photo Album/Scrapbook
Collection of family
photos and memorabilia put into an album in some sort of logical order. 
Add
appropriate text to the pages that answer the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How questions. If done right, it’s a great way to safely store your photos
Equipment: Scrapbook supplies
Digital Scrapbook
Looks much like the
physical version. The difference is that you make and view it on the computer
or other digital device, and it can include animation and video. The final product can be burned onto a sharable disc
or stored and accessed via a website.
Equipment: On-line or
downloadable scrapbook program.
Genealogy Chart
Remember the family tree
you made in grade school? These charts are also known as pedigree charts,
ancestor charts, fan charts, hourglass charts, and bow-tie charts.
Equipment: Genealogy
research program or service, & artistic ability.
Book
Hire someone to write your
book or do it yourself. I’ll help you get started.
Some services, like Shutterfly, allow you to upload photographs,
edit them, and add some text according to your template choices. The results
are then printed in a bound book.
Equipment: Page layout
or word processing program
Video
Make it as simple as a photo
slideshow or a full-blown documentary. Or videotape interviews and put them on
your family history website, digital scrapbook, or as CD inserts in a photo
album.
Equipment: Digital
camcorder, video editing program
Interactive CD-ROM
Looks and acts like a website
except you can hold it in your hand—give it as a gift. One advantage to this
format is that you will never come up with an alert that says, “Page not
found.” Interactive CD-ROMs can contain printable documents, hotlinks to emails
and websites.
Equipment: CD authoring program, graphic design program,
CD burner: Add
video—video equipment.
Family Website
Great networking tool. Enlist
newfound cousins to help research family history. A number of website hosts
have free or inexpensive family history websites services, similar to MySpace.
Equipment: Website
building program, website host
Database Addition
Add data and photos to an
existing family website. Contribute to the genealogical data at your local
library and/or church. You will have to write a letter or statement so they
have a document to add to their files.
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Copyright September 2009 Family History Coach. All rights reserved Last up date April 27, 2010
