Consult with a National Archives conservator on how to preserve your family treasures!

Image of letters from Pearl Harbor
via Preservation Programs of the U.S. National Archives.

NARA's upcoming preservation fair “Preservation EXPOsed!” will take place on March 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the McGowan Theater and lobby at the National Archives in Washington, DC.

Bring in a document, book, photo, artifact, or motion picture film for a consultation with a conservator on how to preserve it. Appointments are required for individual consultations; contact Preservation@NARA.gov or Preservation Programs Officer Allison Olson at 301-837-0678 to schedule one.

The fair is free and open to the public! Enter at the Special Events Entrance on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Street NW.

Winners in the Blog Book Tour How to Archive Family Keepsakes

List of Winners from the Blog Book Tour Giveaways. If you see your name please visit Denise's blog to contact her.

Denise May Levenick, The Family Curator

http://www.thefamilycurator.com

Author, How to Archive Family Keepsakes

Week 1 Winner of the Family History Photo Archive Kit --
Mary Nelson, commenter at 4YourFamilyStories

Week 1 Runners Up, free copy of How to Archive Family Keepsakes -- 
Annemarie Taylor, commenter at 4YourFamilyStories
Tina Telesca, commenter at The Armchair Genealogist

Week 2 Winner of the Family History Oversize Archive Kit --
Robyn, commenter at The Practical Archivist

Week 2 Runner Up, free copy of How to Archive Family Keepsakes -- 
Cheryl Smallwood-Roberts, commenter at The In-Depth Genealogist

Twitter Tweeter Winner, free PDF copy of How to Archive Family Keepsakes --
MariannSRegan 

FaceBook Friend Winner, free PDF copy of How to Archive Family Keepsakes --
Eli Melitz 

Google+ Winner, free PDF copy of How to Archive Family Keepsakes --Jenna Mills

What to Save? What to Toss? 4 Questions That Can Help You Decide

It's the How to Archive Family Keepsakes Blog Book Tour and Olive Tree Genealogy is the stop today. My readers know how passionate I am about preserving family treasures. Well today you are in for a treat! Denise Levenick is the guest author today.

So read on for great tips on deciding what items are worth archiving. As an added bonus you can get a FREE PDF Chart Handout What To Do With What You Inherit: Save, Skim, or Toss, (Read on for information about downloading the free handout).

What to Save? What to Toss? 4 Questions That Can Help You Decide

Guest Post by Denise May Levenick, The Family Curator, author of How to Archive Family Keepsakes (Family Tree Books, 2012). 

It can be hard for family historians to let go of anything that might carry a family story, no matter how old or broken that keepsake might be -- the chipped china teacup you remember from your grandmother's kitchen cupboard, the mildewed children's book that was once bright and new, the keys to long-forgotten locks. 

One key isn't much to save, but it doesn't take long for family keepsakes to become a mountain of memorabilia that threatens to come down on our present life like an avalanche. 

So, how do we choose, what to save, what to toss, and what to give away? I've sifted, sorted, and organized dozens of family collections, and discovered that it sometimes "less" is truly "more," even when it comes to family archives. Yes, we could probably find a family story in every single item set aside and saved, but is that the story we want to preserve? Or, knowing the story, can we let the item go?

Our ancestors were mobile people, and as anyone knows who has ever moved from home to home, each relocation typically involves a kind of triage. Some things are tossed away, others carefully packed up and moved to the new home. Rarely is a home moved intact from place to place.
The same kinds of decisions occur between generations. Sometimes, a son or daughter will inherit an entire home of possessions and need to begin the difficult task of sifting, sorting, saving, and tossing.
Family historians will want to be on the lookout for anything that documents vital record information (birth, marriage, death records), hints at unknown family members, or fills in the blanks for "mystery years" or "family secrets."

Ask Yourself

1. Why did my ancestor save this?
The answer could be quite simple. Maybe your mom, like her girlfriends, followed the current fad and pressed her prom corsage in her school yearbook. Or, perhaps your grandmother added a caption to a baby photo because there was no other documentation of birth. The dried flowers are sentimental, but can be discarded. The baby photo, however, should be preserved with its important handwritten note.

2. Is it unique, one-of-a-kind?
Some family letters, photos or documents might be the only proof of birth or other event; you will want to save those items that document a vital event or important family story.

3. Is it old?
You might be unsure whether or not an item is worth keeping. When in doubt, save it, especially any original document decades old with names, places, and dates. You may discover connections later in your research. Think again about Question #1: Why did my ancestor save this?

4. Is it valuable?
“Value is relative,” you may have heard it said. And, it’s true. What’s valuable to you today, may not be valuable to your children or grandchildren.

Some items, like books and newspapers are now available in digital versions. Save digital copies as PDF images and let go of the paper copies. Or save a digital copy and file a single paper copy as a backup. Digital storage is less expensive than physical storage space. Do preserve your family’s heirloom original documents, though. They may be priceless and unique.

Think About Your Answers

Four "Yes" answers should be a clue that the item is worth preserving, or at least holding for further consideration. 

I've found 19th century baby photos tucked between pizza take-out menus and trade union cards stashed in old wallets. You have to look inside everything, but then, it's ok to toss the cracked plastic envelope, the take-out menus and the smashed, blackened prom corsage.

Take a digital photo if you need a visual reminder of the artifact. Write a short note if it holds a special story. If in doubt whether or not you should let something go, ask yourself if you've ever saved a similar memento from your own life experience, and what you expect your children to do with it. Sometimes, it's ok to give yourself permission to hold on to the memory and let go of the clutter. 

For a FREE PDF chart What To Do With What You Inherit: Save, Skim, or Toss, visit www.thefamilycurator.com/saveskimtoss.

Find more ideas for sorting and organizing inherited family treasures in How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia & Genealogy Records by Denise May Levenick (Family Tree Books, 2012). Copyright, 2012, Denise May Levenick. All Rights Reserved. www.thefamilycurator.com

How to Archive Family Keepsakes (Family Tree Books, 2012) ISBN 1440322236
Paperback from Family Tree Books, Amazon.com ; PDF eBook from Scribd
10% Savings Coupon ShopFamilyTree.

Join the Blog Tour
Join the Blog Book Tour for How to Archive Family Keepsakes January 10-26, 2013 for author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways, and more. Visit the Blog Book Tour Page at The Family Curator website for the complete schedule .
 
Proceeds from the sale of How to Archive Family Keepsakes during the Book Tour will help fund the 2013 Student Genealogy Grant founded in 2010 in honor of Denise’s mother, Suzanne Winsor Freeman.


Blog Book Tour Giveaways
Comment on daily Book Blog Tour PostTweet the Tour Twitter @FamilyCurator #keepsakebooktourShare the Tour on FaceBook, Google+, Goodreads

It’s easy to enter to win a free copy of Denise’s new book or one of the weekly giveaway prizes. All you have to do is leave a comment to the Blog Tour Post hosted at one of the official tour blogs. Random winners will also be selected from social media comments on Twitter, FaceBook, and Google+.

Each blog tour post comment gives you one chance to win; one entry per post per day, please. Leave a comment at each stop on the blog tour and increase your chances of winning. The lucky names will be announced each Saturday during the tour at The Family Curator.

About the Author
In every family, someone ends up with “the stuff.” Denise May Levenick is a writer, researcher, and speaker with a passion for preserving and sharing family treasures of all kinds. She is the creator of the award-winning family history blog, The Family Curator www.TheFamilyCurator.com and author of the new book How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records, (Family Tree Books, 2012).